Officials: More
children lacking school required immunizations
PORTLAND - More children than
usual will be sent home from school after Feb. 19 for not having gotten
all their immunization shots in time, state health officials said
Wednesday.
State Public Health Officer Grant Higginson said requirements for
adult tetanus-diptheria and chickenpox vaccinations were suspended last
year, because of national shortages.
"Now we expect to issue more exclusion orders than usual, because
children who missed those immunizations need to get caught up," he said.
School exclusions have increased in the past few years because of
additional requirements for middle school children to receive Hepatitis
B, second measles and chickenpox shots.
In 2002, 37,283 exclusion orders were issued to children found to be
missing immunizations. Of those, 8,263 children were unable to go to
school or day care on exclusion day because they had not yet received
the required immunizations, according to Higginson.
Parents seeking immunizations for their children should contact their
doctor, county health clinics or call Oregon SafeNet at 1-800-SAFENET.
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