School is just a week away. Are your kids’ immunizations up-to-date?
<p class="p1">With the start of the school year just a week away, parents of children who will be attending public schools should ensure that their children have met the Missouri immunization requirements for the upcoming school year. Parents can receive more information and schedule an appointment for the immunizations by calling the Ozark County Health Department at 417-679-3334 or by contacting their family doctor or pediatrician. </p><p class="p4">New requirements for Missouri public school students include the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) for all incoming eighth grade students, along with their Tdap booster vaccine. </p><p class="p4">All incoming 12th grade students will be required to have had two doses of meningococcal MCV, unless the first dose was administered to a student who was 16 years of age or older; then only one dose is required. </p><p class="p4">Children enrolling in kindergarten are required to have had 4+ DTAP doses, 3 IPV doses, 2 MMR doses, 3+ doses of hepatitis B and 2 doses of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine.</p><p class="p4">All children attending public school must present to their schools their documentation for up-to-date immunizations before they will be allowed to attend classes; however the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) allows students in all grade levels to receive immunizations up to four days before the due date. To remain in school, students “in progress” must have on file an Immunization in Progress form, which includes the appointment date for needed immunizations. They must also receive the immunization as soon as they become due. The student is in compliance as long as he or she continues to receive the appropriate immunizations at the correct intervals according to the ACIP recommendation.</p><p class="p4">For students who started kindergarten during or after the 2003-04 school year, all required immunizations should already have been administered, according to the requirements which are shown in the chart shown in the photo section of this article.</p>
<p class="p1">Jamie Meints, a nurse with the Ozark County Health Department, administers a required vaccination Monday to Gainesville High School senior Shelby Smith at the Gainesville OCHD office. Students are required to be up to date on state-required immunizations before attending public school. For more information, contact your doctor, or call the OCHD at 417-679-3334 to schedule an appointment. </p>
<p class="p4"><em>This chart and corresponding information are provided courtesy of Missouri Department of Health and Human Services.</em></p><p class="p5">1. Last dose on or after the fourth birthday, and the last dose of pediatric pertussis before the seventh birthday. Maximum needed is six doses. </p><p class="p5">2. Eighth through twelfth grades: Tdap, which contains the pertussis vaccine, is required. If a student received a Tdap, the student is up-to-date. Tdap is currently licensed for one dose only; an additional dose is not needed. </p><p class="p5">3. Grades eighth through ninth grade: One does of MCV is required. Dose must be given after 10 years of age. </p><p class="p5">4. Kindergarten through seventh grade: Last dose must be administered on or after the fourth birthday. The interval between the next-to-last and last dose and last dose should be at least six months. </p><p class="p5">5. First dose must be given on or after 12 months of age. </p><p class="p5">6. Kindergarten through seventh grade: As satisfactory evidence of disease, a licensed health care provider may sign and place on file with the school a written statement documenting the month and year of previous varicella (chickenpox) disease. </p><p class="p4">Eighth through twelfth grades: As satisfactory evidence of disease, a parent/guardian, MD or DO may sign and place on file with the school a written statement documenting the month and year of previous varicella (chicken pox) disease. </p>
