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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 28, 2002

Few problems seen with new vaccine rules

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Staff Writer

School and health officials say most parents appear to be complying with new immunization requirements for seventh-graders.

Immunization facts online

For more information on school immunization requirements, visit the Department of Health Web site or call 586-8323; toll free on the Neighbor Islands (800) 933-4832.

All students entering the seventh grade must be vaccinated against hepatitis B, chickenpox and mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) before the first day of school.

The hepatitis B vaccination requires a series of three shots, MMR requires two shots, and the varicella vaccine for chickenpox, one or two shots. Students who have started but not completed a vaccination series by the time school starts will be allowed to attend classes if they provide documentation.

Several public intermediate schools that are in session report no major problems with the new requirements.

At Wai'anae Intermediate, no one was turned away when seventh-graders reported for the first day of school Thursday, said Principal Amy Martinson.

"Many of the students were fully immunized, and those who came in without full immunization were already scheduled to get them or just needed to update their records," she said.

The state Department of Health widely publicized the new vaccination requirements, and health officials at a July 23 orientation advised parents of Wai'anae's 650 seventh-graders of the new rules, Martinson said.

The school received no calls from parents complaining about the requirement, Martinson said. "They were 100 percent aware," she said.

A number of the 290 seventh-graders at Kapa'a Middle School on Kaua'i are still waiting for their third shots in the hepatitis B series, but all were allowed to start school Thursday, said health aide Tammie Haraguchi.

"We haven't heard any parents saying, 'I didn't hear about the notice,' " she said.

The Honolulu Medical Group in downtown Honolulu is handling more appointments than usual for vaccinations, a spokeswoman said, but has not been overwhelmed.

A public health nursing official at the Windward O'ahu health center said the Wednesday afternoon vaccination clinics had been busy accommodating families with school-age children.

Health officials expect the demand to increase toward Aug. 22, the first day of classes for public schools that follow the traditional school calendar.

Parents who do not have family doctors or health insurance can find neighborhood clinics by calling Ask Aloha United Way at 275-2000; on the Neighbor Islands, call toll-free (877) 275-6569.