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May 13, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Arlee Nearly Complete With Mandatory Hepatitis Shots" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (05/10/02)

In Arlee, Montana, over 90 percent of school students have already received or are receiving mandatory hepatitis B vaccinations.  Arlee is the first school district in the state to require the vaccination.  The decision to make hepatitis B vaccinations mandatory was approved unanimously by the school board in February; the disease is serious and can be fatal, notes Arlee superintendent Gordon Friberg.  Part of the decision was based on the large number of Native American students in the district that are particularly susceptible to the disease due to socio-economic factors and high-risk behaviors.  However, Friberg also pointed out that many colleges require the shots, so college-bound students might need them anyway.

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