Immunizations for next year
This is public health
As the 2009-2010 school year ends, there is no time like the present to think about immunizations your child may need for the next school year. The Lake County Health Department would like to assist you in understanding what immunizations your child needs to attend school according to Montana State law.
Kindergarten Roundups in Lake County have come and gone. At the roundup you may have been made aware of the immunizations your child needs to start Kindergarten next year. Your child may or may not be up to date.
Minimum requirements for kindergarten are:
-Three doses of Polio (IPV) vaccine with at least one dose after the fourth birthday. Inactivated polio vaccine prevents polio disease. Although it has been many years since polio has been reported in the U.S., it is still common in some parts of the world. It would only take one case of polio from another country to bring back the disease. So in an effort to prevent this, we need to keep our children vaccinated.
- Four doses of DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertussis) vaccine with one dose given after the fourth birthday. We continue to see cases of tetanus and pertussis, more commonly known as "whooping cough" in the U.S. Last year, in Lake County, we had 34 confirmed cases of pertussis. Infants who are not fully vaccinated are at greatest risk for developing complications from pertussis. By immunizing our children we offer "herd immunity" protection to those infants who are too young to be fully immunized. From 1990 to 1996, 57 people died in the U.S. from pertussis; 49 of those were infants less than six months old, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
-Two doses of MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine with the second dose given prior to kindergarten entry. Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world and is frequently reported in the U.S. According to the CDC, before measles immunizations were available in the U.S., an average of 450 measles-associated deaths were reported each year between 1953 and 1963.
Once kindergarten immunizations are completed the next required immunization will be a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis) vaccine for children entering seventh grade. This vaccine re-boosts a child's immunity, especially to pertussis, which often begins to decrease around this age. The Tdap vaccine is a one-time booster dose and was licensed for adolescent and adult use in 2005, due to the significant increase in pertussis cases nationally. Adults should have a Tdap immunization as long as it has been two years since their last Tetanus booster was given.
Colleges also have minimum immunization requirements. Proof of two doses of MMR vaccine is generally required by all students. In some cases, students entering a health field curriculum will be required to have a three-dose series of Hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B can be spread through contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. Dorm students are encouraged, and also may be required, to receive the Meningococcal vaccine. Meningococcal Disease is a severe bacterial infection and is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, a life threatening disease. College students these days also often have opportunities to travel out of country and a series of Hepatitis A is recommended, especially if their travel takes them to countries located in Central or South America, Mexico, Asia , except Japan, Africa and Eastern Europe. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. A person is most likely to contract hepatitis A from contaminated food or water or from close contact with someone who's already infected.
Check with the admissions office of the college you or your child will be attending to be sure and get the correct information on immunization requirements.
Be sure to allow plenty of time to receive the needed immunizations, as colleges will not allow your child to begin classes without the requirements being met.
In addition, it is highly recommended that all students be vaccinated against the Seasonal/H1N1 Influenza vaccines in the fall.
The Lake County Health Department is happy to access your child's immunization records before vaccinations are received to avoid any unnecessary duplication. Please bring your child's immunization records with you to the health department for review. We can also assist you in tracking down immunization records from various physicians' offices both in and out of state if you do not have them.
We offer walk-in immunization clinics are every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. We provide Healthy Montana Children and Insurance billing. If you are uninsured, we offer immunizations on a sliding fee scale based upon your income. Please bring your children in during the early summer months to avoid the last minute rush!
Lake County Public Health is located at 802 Main St, Polson, MT.
If you have any questions regarding immunizations for your child feel free to contact Lake County Public Health at 883-7288.