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Photo by Bob Pennell Rebecca Dauster, 13, braves the pain of a varicella vaccine administered by Jackson County community health nurse Carol Irwin. The shot, which will prevent chicken pox, is among immunizations offered at a free clinic Saturday in Medford and Grants Pass. Care Fair will offer free inoculations State urges update on immunizations for all ages of students By JONEL ALECCIA No doubt Rebecca Dauster would have preferred to focus on less painful preparations for the new school year. But shopping took a back seat to shots Thursday as the incoming Hedrick Middle School eighth-grader updated her immunizations against disease. "Ow!" said Rebecca, 13, as Jackson County community health nurse Carol Irwin slid a needle into her arm -- twice. "Usually they don't hurt, but now they do." The twin injections contained the varicella vaccine that will protect Rebecca against chicken pox. It's among several immunizations county health officials recommend now, in order to meet looming deadlines for increased state standards. "They sent me a letter; I was surprised to get one," said Marianne Hayes, mother to Rebecca and five other children. "Usually I keep records." Some 800 notices were sent to parents throughout the county this year, notifying them that their children's immunizations are incomplete, said Pamela Barndt, the community health nurse who reviews school records. "We really do encourage people to immunize because a lot of these childhood diseases are starting to come back," she said. By next fall, all students entering public school and state-registered day-care facilities will be required to have the varicella vaccine. Immunizations required for the first time starting in February 1999 include two doses of measles vaccine and three doses of vaccine against hepatitis B. That was in addition to demands that school-age children be inoculated against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and meningitis, and receive a single dose of vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Teenagers 15 and older may require a tetanus booster, Brandt said. College-bound students would also benefit from another dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. To help make the job of immunizing kids easier -- and cheaper-- county officials and other sponsors will hold the annual Kid's Care Fair Saturday at locations in Medford and Grants Pass. The event offers free back-to-school immunizations and other information about child health. The fair is set from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jackson Elementary School, 630 W. Jackson St., Medford, and at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass. Parents should bring their children's immunization records. Local public health providers have praised the new requirements. The hepatitis B shot offers lifetime protection against a potentially fatal disease. And the increased measles dosage helps ensure the success of the vaccine. All of the immunizations are on the list of shots recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new requirements bring Oregon in line with national standards. Parents worried about side effects of the vaccines, or those who object to them on religious grounds may be exempted from the requirement, Barndt said. But she stressed that the state would prefer comprehensive immunization to ensure that once-fatal childhood illnesses don't reassert themselves. "People are thinking that they don't have to immunize, but you wouldn't want anyone to come down with something," she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA