Procrastinating parents have one more day to make sure their kids have all the shots they need before registering Wednesday at a Hamilton County school.
The new state vaccination requirements, which went into effect July 1, mostly will affect students entering prekindergarten, kindergarten or seventh grade, as well as any who are starting in a Tennessee school for the first time.
The requirements – which include vaccinations for chicken pox, tetanus and Hepatitis A and B – have been recommendations for years, say health department officials, so most students probably will be unaffected.
“For the most part, if parents have been keeping their kids up to date, there’s no change,” said Cathy Cowart, spokeswoman for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.
Without a record of all the new required shots, students cannot enroll Wednesday and will not be able to attend class on Aug. 11, schools’ first day, said Danielle Clark, spokeswoman for Hamilton County Schools.
In an effort to make sure local kids get the shots they need, the local health department is holding two clinics, one tonight and one Wednesday.
Offices downtown, in Ooltewah and Sequoyah will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., said Diana Kreider, manager of the maternal and child health program for the department.
“I think it will be very busy and people will need to know there will be a wait,” Kreider said. “We do anticipate a higher-than-normal crowd.”
At the health department, the vaccination administrative fee is $20, and shots are priced on a sliding scale based on income, she said.
Parents also can take their children to their family pediatrician for the new vaccines, Kreider said.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Tennessee students to get additional shots
Article: New vaccine requirements issued in Tennessee
Article: Coming health care changes you may not know about
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NEW VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
Changes in bold
Daycare/Pre-school/Pre-kindergarten:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP or DT)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B (HBV)
H. influenzae (HIB)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
Pneumococcal (PCV)
Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV)
Varicella (Chickenpox)
Kindergarten:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP or DT)
Hepatitis B (HBV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR): Two doses
Polio (IPV or OPV): Final dose on or after fourth birthday
Varicella (Chickenpox): Two doses or history of disease
Seventh grade:
Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis booster (Tdap)
Varicella (Chickenpox): Two doses or history of disease
New enrollees in a Tennessee school other than kindergarten or seventh grade:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP or DT)
Hepatitis B (HBV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR): Two doses
Polio (IPV or OPV): Final dose on or after fourth birthday
Varicella (Chickenpox): Two doses or history of disease
Source: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department