Marybeth Walker reads health records every day that are written in Spanish, Arabic and a host of other languages.

But her biggest concern is about those written in English.

"I know a lot of people are worried about children from other countries coming into our schools and spreading diseases," she said recently. "But I'm more worried about our own children."

Walker, a nurse who works for the Mecklenburg County Health Department, has been assigned to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' new Family Application Center. There, thanks to grant money, she is launching a new effort to make sure all students have received their required immunizations before school starts.

Much of the attention is focused on students arriving from other countries. But, she said, most of those families seem happy to comply.

"Those families want to comply," she said. "They want to follow our rules."

The bigger problem, she said, are U.S. students.

"Many of them are coming to school without meeting the regulations," she said. "The goal is trying to reach them."

North Carolina law requires all students entering kindergarten to have these immunizations:

• DTP (diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough) -- at least four doses, with one dose on or after the 4th birthday.

• Polio -- at least three doses, with one dose on or after the 4th birthday.

• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) -- one dose on or after the 1st birthday, with a second dose upon entering kindergarten.

• Hepatitis B -- required for children born on or after July 1, 1994.

Also incoming kindergarten students must undergo a health assessment, which must have been completed since Aug. 19, 2001. For an appointment, call (704) 336-6500, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.