The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is advising parents to make sure their children are fully immunized before starting school this fall.
By law, California schools must review children’s immunization records to ensure that students have received all required shots for school entry, according to a press release from the county. Immunizations are available through private doctors, community health clinics, and Public Health Department immunization clinics.
The health department also recommends parents immunize children six months and older against seasonal influenza, and announced in the release that “it is likely that another vaccine to protect children against Pandemic H1N1 flu will be available later in the fall or early winter months, and this vaccine may require two doses.”
For more information about California school immunization requirements, vaccines, and vaccine-preventable diseases, parents are advised to contact their child’s physician, school nurse, or the Public Health Department Immunization Project at 346-8420 or GetImmunizedCA.org.
School Scene is compiled by News Editor Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Jul 23-30, 2009.