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Immunization catch-up Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Ashland Middle School student Shawna Faria, 13, gets a comforting hand from mom Margaret Romey while health nurse Viki Barbour gives her a vaccination. Shawna was among more than 100 Jackson County students who were excluded from school Wednesday because they had not received required shots. By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jackson County health officials immunized about 75 anxious students Wednesday who had been excluded from school for failing to get required shots by the Feb. 20 deadline. After the needle was pulled out of his arm, 13-year-old Ian Webb of Ashland Middle School said, "I feel a little dizzy." Many of the students like Ian who had not received the required immunizations came from middle schools, particularly from Ashland, Hanby and Talent. Middle schools had higher numbers because of new requirements for hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella. As of Wednesday afternoon, health officials counted a minimum of 108 students in the county who had not been immunized and who would be prevented from returning to school, far fewer than last year's 242 exclusions. State law requires immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B and chicken pox. Community health nurse Carol Irwin said not all the schools in the county had reported by the end of the day. Health officials recently sent out 1,080 letters to Jackson County parents warning them that their children would be excluded from school if they weren't immunized. Talent Middle School had more letters sent out than any other school in the county - 161, Irwin said. School officials hadn't reported how many of those had been excluded as of Wednesday. Ashland Middle School, where 107 letters were sent out, had 20 exclusions. Irwin said the Ashland school nurse gave hundreds of doses recently, helping to bring down the numbers. Warning letters were sent out to 78 Hanby Middle School children; 13 exclusions were reported. Irwin said school districts like Medford's had low exclusion rates because they sent out monthly letters warning parents to get their children immunized. Day care centers and private schools also must make sure children receive their shots. Despite the warnings, many parents were too busy or just forgot to follow through with the immunizations. Ian's mother, Ashland resident Paula Webb, considered taking a religious exemption to avoid the hassle of getting Ian immunized. "It would have taken a week and a half for a regular doctor to see him," she said. After Webb discovered the health department was offering daily clinics, she decided against the exemption and rushed her son down for his shots. State law gives parents wide latitude in claiming religious exemptions based on a system of beliefs or values. Ashland schools have one of the highest rates of religious exemptions. Last year, 430 students, or 12.3 percent of the district, claimed the exemptions, compared to a state average of 1.67 percent. Statistics for this year were not yet available from the county. Margaret Romey took her daughter, 13-year-old Shawna Faria, directly to the clinic Wednesday. "I had a feeling they (Ashland Middle School) were going to send her home today," said Romey. She said she just forgot that her daughter needed the shots. After getting immunized, Shawna said, "That wasn't that bad." 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.