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61 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 19, 2004 Sean Sterling, 11, gets his school shots from registered nurse Becky Nussbaum at the Jackson County Health Department Wednesday. He�s one of about 315 children who needed to update their immunization records Wednesday in order to stay in school. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Lots and lots of shots By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Like gardeners who know when to look for spring crocuses, the nurses at Jackson County’s public health office expect to see long lines of parents and children during the middle of February. The third Wednesday in February is "Exclusion Day" — the day when schools send home children who have incomplete or missing immunization records. Many parents take their kids straight to the county’s public health office at 1005 E. Main St. in Medford to get them immunized so they can return to school. "It’s predictable," said Carol Irwin, a public health nurse. "The Tuesday after Presidents’ Day it’s packed. So is Wednesday." Exclusion Day 2004 was no exception. Dozens of parents with children in tow waited to get immunizations while nurses bustled to move them through the office. About 315 children were excluded from public schools, private schools, day-care centers and Head Start programs, according to preliminary data from the Jackson County Department of Health and Human Services. That number was about 9 percent lower than the 347 children who were excluded in 2003. Advertisement Parents are notified several times before Exclusion Day that their children will be barred from school if they are not immunized. The schools notified the parents of 1,605 children that their immunization records were either incomplete or missing. That was about 4 percent fewer children than the 1,673 whose parents received notices in 2003. "I think parents are doing better," said Hank Collins, the county’s director of health and human services. He also credited school officials in communities such as Eagle Point for their work during the past few weeks to get children immunized. In late January, Eagle Point Middle School and White Mountain Middle School reported a combined total of 266 students who would be excluded unless their immunizations were brought up to date. On Wednesday, just 25 were sent home. Irwin said changing immunization requirements can make it difficult for parents to keep track of what their children need. Immunization requirements also differ from state to state, so what may be adequate in say, Arizona, may not pass muster in Oregon. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox (varicella) and pneumococcal bacteria (the source of meningitis). Irwin said many of the public-school students who were sent home were middle-school students who needed an additional injection against hepatitis B to comply with Oregon’s requirements. Many already had one or two injections, but Oregon requires three to assure immunity. Irwin said parents can arrange all the injections their children need through their family physician or at the county’s public health office. No one is turned away for inability to pay, she said. The clinic is open from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities