All around the city, Los Angeles Unified School District students are attending orientation sessions this week and getting ready for classes to start on August 18, 2015. In addition to getting school supplies, parents of 7th graders need to add one more thing to their do lists. The California School Immunization Law requires that children be up-to-date on their immunizations (shots) to attend school. All California schools public and private are required to check immunization records for all new student admissions at Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grades and all 7th graders before entry.
New this year is the requirement that 7th graders have the Tdap immunization shots before school starts. The Tdap known as (Diphtheria,Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT, or Tdap) protects against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough.
Pertussis is a contagious bacterial disease. The California Department of Public Health reports the state is currently experiencing an epidemic since the overall number of incidents has risen from the 1990s, according to the Los Angeles Times. The illness is characterized by uncontrollable coughs followed by a gasp for air that sounds like a “whoop.” It may be accompanied by a runny nose or fever, and can be fatal for infants if it causes a pause in their breathing, called “apnea.” Avoiding people who are infected helps stop the spread, but vaccination is the easiest way to prevent it, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The Tdap shot may be given at your doctor’s office or, for those without health insurance, at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is offering free vaccines. For referrals to no-cost or low-cost immunizations, dial 2-1-1, an information line from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The LAUSD’s Nursing Services also holds regular immunization clinics throughout the year for those who are uninsured, Medi-Cal recipients, or Alaskan or Native American students. Click here for more information on their Shots for School website.
Starting next July 2016, all students entering schools will have to show proof of vaccination and personal belief exemptions are no longer allowed.
