EDITORIAL: Immunizations safe, effective

Aug. 2—There is no good reason for parents not to immunize their children.

And now is a good time to assess your child's immunization schedule: August is National Immunization Awareness Month.

Safe and effective vaccines are available to protect adults and children alike against potentially life-threatening diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, shingles, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox).

Children entering school are required by Alabama Law to present a Certificate of Immunization, formerly known as a "Blue Card." If a child has received all required vaccines and only needs a Certificate of Immunization, these can be printed from the child's school.

According to the "Rule of the State Board of Heath," chapter 420-6-1:

"The board of education and the governing authority of each private school shall require each pupil, prior to entering kindergarten or first grade or prior to re-entering the higher grades of the schools of Alabama, to present a Certificate of Immunization for the prevention of diseases listed in 420-6-1-.03 (Code of Alabama, 1975, §16-30-4.). The Certificate of Immunization will be on a form approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

"The Department of Human Resources has required each child two months of age or older attending any child care center/home to present a Certificate of Immunization for the prevention of diseases listed in 420-6-1-03.

"Such certificate shall be on the form approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health and shall be made a part of the pupil's school/child's child care center/home record. When a student/child leaves a school/child care center/home upon graduation, transfer, relocation or otherwise; the school or child care center/home may return the original certificate to the student's/child's parents/guardians and retain a legible copy in the institution's record.

"A written objection from the parent or guardian of a student or child based on religious tenets and practices shall be submitted in person by the parent or guardian to the County Health Department for issuance of a Certificate of Religious Exemption from the required immunizations or testing. A licensed physician can provide individual exemption from the required immunizations or testing on a Certificate of Medical Exemption. The Certificate of Religious Exemption and the Certificate of Medical Exemption will be on forms approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health and will be accepted in lieu of the Certificate of Immunization."

More, immunizations must be done per a state schedule:

"Unless otherwise noted in paragraphs below, vaccine doses should be administered according to the most recent version of the Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 Years, as published by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Vaccine doses administered fewer than 4 days before the minimum interval or age should be counted as valid. Doses administered more than 5 days earlier than the minimum interval or age should not be counted as valid doses and should be repeated as age-appropriate.

"Except as provided in Chapter 420-6-1-.02 and in the Code of Alabama, 1975, §16-30-4, each pupil, prior to entering Alabama school grade kindergarten through twelfth grade shall receive age-appropriate immunizations as below:

—5 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP). Only 4 doses are needed if the fourth dose was administered on or after the fourth birthday. Booster doses of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine (Td) must be given 5-10 years after the preschool booster. However, effective for students entering sixth grade beginning fall of 2010, a booster dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) must be given at 11 or 12 years of age. This requirement will escalate by one successive grade each year for the following 6 years to include sixth through twelfth grades, beginning fall of 2016.

—4 doses of inactivated polio vaccine. Only 3 doses are needed if the third dose was administered on or after the fourth birthday.

—immunization against mumps and rubella

—2 doses of measles-containing vaccine.

—varicella vaccine subject to the following schedule unless there is documentation of a positive varicella titer or a date of varicella disease. This requirement is effective for students entering kindergarten beginning fall of 2001 and will escalate by one successive grade each year for the following 12 years to include all grades, kindergarten through twelfth, beginning fall of 2013:

—1 dose of varicella vaccine at 12 months of age or older for persons less than 13 years of age;

—2 doses of varicella vaccine separated by at least 28 days for persons 13 years of age or older beginning the vaccination series.

And, children entering any child care center/home shall, in addition to the vaccines listed above, also receive age-appropriate immunizations for: (a) Haemophilus influenzae type b; and (b) Pneumococcal disease using pneumococcal conjugate vaccine."

To be fair, and accurate, there are a few — very few — medical exceptions for immunizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

All states, including Alabama, allow for medical exemptions for vulnerable children that might be more susceptible to serious side effects or reactions.

There is no science whatsoever to support outlandish claims that vaccines are somehow related to infant mortality, autism or other conditions.

Immunizations are both safe and effective, public health officials have said repeatedly.

With CNHI News Service