King County Public Health officials are urging parents to make sure their children are up-to-date in their immunizations.
Recent cases of pertussis in Washington state, an unusually high number of imported measles cases in the United States this year, and an ongoing mumps outbreak in neighboring British Columbia are all important reminders that vaccine preventable diseases remain a threat to health, according to a King County press release.
This school year, the following vaccines are required:
• All students will need proof of 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine and 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, an age-appropriate series of polio vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine.
• Two doses of chickenpox (varicella) vaccine or doctor-verified history of disease are required for age kindergarten through grade 3. Students in grades 4, 5 and 6 are required to have one dose of varicella or parental history of disease. Varicella vaccine is recommended for children in grades 7-12 who have never had chickenpox.
• Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine) is required for students in grades 6 through 10.
Contact the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 or www.ParentHelp123.org for assistance in locating a health-care provider.
Although not required for school entry, immunizations are also recommended for children to protect against hepatitis A, meningococcal disease and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Parents or legal guardians have the right to choose not to immunize their children, based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons.