New vaccination requierments in Pittsburgh schools

ZWIRE Comments: Hepatitis B, and Chickenpox shots should not be mandated. What are the long-term side effects for these vaccinations? Hepatitis B virus is transmitted via unprotected sex, and drug users. How many K-12 children fit into this category??

The Allegheny County Health Department will hold a free immunization clinic from 1 to 7 p.m. tomorrow so students in kindergarten through 12Th grade can receive vaccinations needed for the coming school year.

The clinic at the Health Department office at 3441 Forbes Ave., Oakland, will offer all required vaccines, including those for the 2008-09 school year.

New rules require meningitis and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccinations in grades seven through 12 and an extra dose of mumps and chickenpox vaccines in kindergarten through 12.

Under Allegheny County's new school immunization requirements, all public, private, parochial, cyber and home-schooled students must have the following vaccinations:

• K-12 -- four doses of tetanus/diphtheria (one after the 4th birthday) or three doses when the series is started after the age of 7; three doses of polio and hepatitis B; two doses of measles and mumps; two doses of chickenpox or a history of the disease; and one dose of rubella.

• Grades 7-12 -- one dose of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis administered in a single shot and one dose of the meningitis vaccine.

No appointment is necessary at the clinic, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who should bring immunization records to the clinic. Free parking will be available from 5 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Health Department's office at 3333 Forbes Ave.

As an incentive, the department is offering students who receive immunizations at the clinic a "buy one, get one free" pass, while supplies last, for county swimming pools at Boyce Park, South Park, North Park and Settler's Cabin Park.