"Parents should take care of their children's shots now, well before the start of school, and before there are long lines at the doctor's office and city health department," Northside Health Services Director Shirley Schreiber said.
For information about services through the San Antonio Metro Health Department and scheduled immunization clinics, please call (210) 207-8750.
Required immunizations for 2008-09 include:
- DTP/DTaP/DT/Td - Five doses required for entry kindergarten students unless the fourth dose was received after the fourth birthday. Students age 7, starting their vaccine, are required to have
- three doses. TD: booster every 10 years.
- Polio - Four doses of IPV are required for kindergarten students unless the third dose was received after fourth birthday. It can be any combination of OPV or IPV. Not required of 18-year old students.
- Measles - Two doses of measles vaccine are required. First dose must be administered on or after the first birthday. Second dose by age 5 or entry into kindergarten. Physician confirmation of illness is not acceptable; only a serological (blood test) confirmation is accepted.
- Rubella - One dose of vaccine on or after the first birthday or serological (blood work) confirmation of rubella immunity.
- Mumps - One dose of vaccine on or after the first birthday. Vaccine required for all students through 18 years of age.
- HIB - Three doses of Haemophiles Influenza type B vaccine and a booster if given before child is 15 months or one dose of vaccine if given after 15 months. Vaccine given through 4 years of age.
- Hepatitis Type A - Two doses of Hepatitis A required for kindergarten through third grade. Second dose is required six months after the administration of the first dose.
- Hepatitis Type B - Three doses required for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
- Varicella (Chicken Pox) - One dose of varicella vaccine received on or after the first birthday is required kindergarten through grade 12. Two doses are required if the student was 13 years old at the time the first dose of varicella was received. If the student has had varicella (chicken pox) illness, please request a form from the school nurse to validate illness.
- Pneumococcal (PCV7) - Mandated for all students 3 through 4 years of age. The school nurse will evaluate the number of doses needed.
- Recommended: Menactra (Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine) - Protects students 11 years of age and older from Meningitis and is available from primary care providers. NISD encourages parents to immunize children to protect them from meningitis, but the vaccine is not currently a school requirement.