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Un-immunized kids face exclusion By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jackson County health officials are sending out 945 warning letters to parents of children who face exclusion from school if they fail to get required immunization shots by Feb. 20. Three county middle schools - Ashland, Hanby and Talent - have a large number of students who haven't been immunized, primarily for hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella. "They need the shots or they will be excluded from school," said community health nurse Carol Irwin. State law requires immunizations for a variety of diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B and chicken pox. Ashland Middle School has 104 students out of 791 enrolled who are missing shots or don't have any record of shots given. Hanby has 78 out of 293; Talent has 154 out of 521. Public schools make up the lion's share of education facilities that have either incomplete immunizations or no record of shots - amounting to 721 students in Jackson County. Private schools have 88 and preschool and day care facilities have 136. The number of students in the county needing shots has declined from last year's 1,357, partly because parents are more familiar with the hepatitis B and chicken pox immunizations, required to enter seventh grade in the 2000-2001 school year. Part of the problem of incomplete immunizations also could be attributed to an earlier shortage of shots for tetanus, diphtheria and chicken pox, said Irwin. Letters will continue to be sent out to parents through next week to warn them of the deadline. The county will offer daily immunization clinics from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1005 E. Main St., Building A. The students who will be receiving the letters are not among the 4 percent of Jackson County students who have claimed religious exemptions, a rate that is much higher than the state average of 1.67 percent. State health officials plan to eventually release a report on the reasons behind Jackson County's higher rate. They say the county's rate is being skewed by 12.3 percent of Ashland's 3,489 students who have claimed religious exemption to avoid the shots, giving this district one of the highest exemption rates in the state. Health officials are hopeful that recent efforts to educate Ashland parents about the importance of immunizations will show fewer children claiming religious or medical exemptions in the future. State law requires immunizations but also gives wide latitude to parents who claim an exemption based on a system of beliefs or values. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.