Colorado kids will feel a slight pinch before classes resume, but the good news is that three new vaccines required for students this fall come in just one shot.
The new immunizations – to help ward off whooping cough, chickenpox and bacterial pneumonia and meningitis – join the roster of vaccinations already required for the state’s 800,000 schoolchildren.
“It’s a law I wouldn’t even think of breaking,” said Eve Crowe of Highlands Ranch, whose daughter starts school in Douglas County on Monday. “Kids can catch so much that it just makes sense.”
Schools across much of the state resume classes on or before Aug. 20.
Kids who aren’t up to date on immunizations will have two weeks to provide proof of vaccinations or begin the process of obtaining immunization shots or applying for an exemption.
“It’s a very, very small number who don’t get immunizations,” said Joni Reynolds, head of the Colorado Immunization Program.
She said 78 percent of Colorado children were immunized by age 2.
Better school attendance
The new vaccinations were approved by the state board of health based on national recommendations last September. Besides protecting the health of children who get the shots, it improves the learning environment, Reynolds said.
For instance, whooping cough interferes with school attendance, sports and overall health for older children, but it’s rarely life-threatening.
The illness can be fatal for babies and toddlers, however.
“It’s a concern in older children and adults, because that’s who’s around infants – older brothers and sisters in the home,” Reynolds said.
The vaccine for whooping cough also protects against diphtheria and tetanus.
A chickenpox vaccination has been required for first- through seventh-graders since 2000. But beginning this fall, children must also have a second dose of the vaccine.
Previously, if a child had already had chickenpox before starting school, a second dose was not required.
Boosting the public’s health
Immunization programs are good public policy, according to the Bell Policy Center in Denver, which monitors health care in the state.
“Immunizing kids against these diseases before they start school is a cost-effective way to guard the public’s health,” said Robin Baker, a senior policy analyst for the center. “Our biggest concern is making sure insurance companies see the value of covering vaccinations for kids.”
The Bell Policy Center is launching an Internet blog Monday to report on such public health-care issues.
Prices for immunizations vary with family doctors and private medical clinics, but community clinics and fairs, such as the Aurora Fire Department’s monthly “Shots for Tots” events, cost about $15 for all needed vaccines.
Aurora firefighters promise that no child will be turned away because of inability to pay.
Besides being a requirement for public schools, immunizations also are required for children older than 2 to attend a child-care center.
Parents can file for an exemption from immunization requirements for personal, medical or religious reasons, under state law. Forms for exemptions can be obtained from the state health department, doctors’ offices and schools.
Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
Get vaccinated
Required vaccinations for Colorado schoolchildren are:
- Varicella – Two doses to ward off chickenpox
- DTaP – Up to five doses to prevent diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)
- Hepatitis – Three doses required for preschool and all grades
- Haemophilus influenzae Type B – Up to three doses of this vaccine are required, depending on the child’s age and when previous doses were given
- Measles, mumps and rubella – Two doses required for kindergarten through 12th grades; one dose required for preschool children
- Polio – Up to three doses for children in preschool; up to four doses for grade school, middle school and high school
- Prevnar/PCV7 for pneumococcal disease – Now required for children in licensed child care through 23 months of age. The number of doses depends on when the vaccine was initially administered.
- Tdap for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis – All 11- to 12-year-olds receive a dose of Tdap; required for all incoming sixth- and 10th-graders this upcoming school year, and in subsequent years the schedule will incorporate other grades as well.
For clinic information, visit . The Colorado Helpline at 877-462-2911 can also provide a list of public health clinics offering free and low-cost immunizations. For more information about immunizations visit ./dc/Immunization/index.html
Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
