Shots needed to enter 7th grade
By Loren Moreno
Advertiser Staff Writer
The school year has barely ended, but the start of the next one isn't far away, and the state Health Department reminds parents that students entering seventh grade need proper immunization in order to attend classes.
Immunizations are required for: Kindergarten and new students — hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenza, and chickenpox. Seventh grade and new students — three hepatitis B shots; two shots for mumps, measles and rubella; a chickenpox vaccination or history of disease signed by a doctor. High school — health officials recommend immunization for hepatitis A and influenza. More information For information about the Vaccine for Children program or to locate participating physicians or clinics, call: • State Department of Health — 586-8300, or toll free from the Neighbor Islands, (800) 933-4832. • Aloha United Way information hot line — 211.
Those without the required shots on the first day of school will be sent home, said Stanley Michaels of the department's immunization branch.
Requirements
To enter seventh grade, students must have three hepatitis B shots; two shots for mumps, measles, and rubella; and a chickenpox vaccination or history of disease signed by a doctor.
Students who have attended school in Hawai'i since kindergarten have likely already met state requirements, said Malama Markowitz, manager of the Hawai'i Immunization Program.
"Those who don't may be coming in from other states or they may have moved here from another country, and those are the students we are trying to target," Markowitz said.
Hawai'i has long had immunization requirements for students entering kindergarten. But the requirement for seventh-graders was begun just three years ago, and each year since the state has used its Vax to School program to get the word out.
Students eligible for MedQuest or Medicaid can get free shots through Vaccine for Children, a program sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shots are available through participating physicians.
Students who are uninsured or underinsured may also be eligible for free vaccinations. Parents can call Aloha United Way's 211 information hot line and be referred to a clinic or provider.
"There's a lot of ways a kid can get covered here and there's hardly any excuse for a parent to miss these shots," said Michaels.
Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2455.
