Four thousand Lee County seventh graders and as many or more in eighth and ninth grades won’t get into school this Fall unless their immunizations are up to date. "Don’t wait until the last minute, and don’t be one of those parents whose child is put back on the bus the first day of class," cautions Cynthia Upton, who heads the Health Department’s Immunization Program. Although the law mandates it, and parents are sent repeated letters reminding them, every August some children don’t have their proper shots to enter school. "It happens every year", says Loretta Williams, a Health Department nurse. "And then parent and child face a one to three day school delay while getting the shots and required ‘Blue Card’."
Eighteen clinic locations scattered throughout the county, with six offering convenient evening hours, make it easy to have your child prepared for school and at the same time protected from many diseases. "Tetanus, diphtheria, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella all can all cause serious health problems". advises Williams. "They can even be life-threatening," she warns. And to Janice Goodworth, a nurse at the Health Department’s Michigan Avenue clinic, it seems that too many parents wait until the final weeks before school starts to bring their children. "Parents procrastinate until the last possible minute, and then face long waiting lines." She advises parents to "Beat the crowd. Get your child immunized now." Immunization hours and locations are available by calling the Lee County Health Department at 332-9601. |
