RIGHT ON TARGET: CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL

Missouri children must be immunized against certain infectious diseases before being allowed to enroll in school.

"The first thing we ask for when children enroll is their shot record," said Barbara Blanchard, principal at Washington Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. "If they don't have the shots, we require they get them."

Blanchard said that when a child registers for kindergarten, the child needs three things -- a birth certificate, a social security number and a shot record. "The shot record must show proof of the vaccinations, or the child must get them in order to enter school," Blanchard said.

What shots are required? The list is a mix of seven familiar and not-so-familiar immunizations.

Most people will recognize measles, mumps and tetanus, and diphtheria and polio as well. However, rubella and pertussis are mysteries to many people.

Measles is no doubt the most familiar of childhood diseases. Without immunization, the measles virus can cause deafness, blindness, brain damage and even death.

Mumps, also caused by a virus, can cause swollen testicles, ovaries and pancreas. Hearing loss may occur.

Rubella is almost always brief and mild; however, a woman who catches the virus early in pregnancy is likely to have a baby with serious birth defects, according to information available at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.

An oral vaccine gives immunity from polio, which is now very rare.

"We probably won't be immunizing against polio in a few more years," said Jane Wernsman, county health nurse supervisor at the center. "It's almost gone, like smallpox."

Tetanus is a disease that requires lifelong vigilance. In addition to the childhood requirements, booster shots must be given every 10 years, because neither the disease itself nor the vaccination gives permanent immunity.

The tetanus organism is most likely to enter the body through dirty, deep wounds. People who are in contact with horses and horse manure are especially susceptible.

The symptoms are headache, sweating and mood changes, then muscle spasms, especially in the jaw or abdomen.

"The old word for tetanus was lockjaw, and they didn't call it that for nothing," said Charlotte Craig, the center's director. "The patient is in a constant state of seizure. It's very unpleasant and people don't always recover."

Pertussis is better known as whooping cough because of the high-pitched "whooping" sound of the coughing fits that develop. The most frequent, serious complication is pneumonia, but it can also cause brain damage.

Immunization for tetanus and pertussis is combined with diphtheria immunization in a single vaccine known as DTP.

In diphtheria, caused by a bacterium, dead cells and bacteria may block the windpipe with a "membrane" so the victim can't breathe.

Craig and Wernsman both emphasized the importance of childhood immunizations. "If the vaccines weren't around," said Craig, "many, many children would be dying from these diseases, just as they did in the 'good old days.'

"All you have to do is take a walk through Lorimier Cemetery and note how many children are buried there."

The Missouri Department of Health provides information on all childhood diseases. Brochures and advice from experts are available at the Public Health Center at 1121 Linden St. The phone number is (573) 335-7846.

Parents can get shots for their children from the family physician or vaccinations can be gotten free at the center. The center maintains a record of shots for each person and provides parents with an individual record for each child.

"It's very important to keep shot records," said Vicky McDowell, communicable disease coordinator at the center. "People who move frequently can't always remember where they lived when a particular shot was given. It's easier if parents keep records in a safe place."

The center will conduct a booster clinic July 17. The summer clinics are especially for children getting ready for kindergarten and for the 15-year-old's tetanus booster. But McDowell said that any of the childhood shots may be taken that day.

RECOMMENDED IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE

AGE VACCINE

Birth to 2 months Hepatitis B (HB)

2 months Polio (OPV) Diptheria, Pertussis (DPT)

2-4 months HB

4 months OPV; DTP; Hib

6 months DTP; Hib

6-18 months HB; OPV

12-15 months Hib; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

4-6 years OPV; DTP or DTaP; MMR

11-12 years or 14-16 years Tetanus, Diptheria