Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Vaccines at school possible
by diane vance /gate city staff writer
A subcommittee of the Keokuk School District's Graduation Task Force is studying ways to improve health for students in the district.
The Healthy Lifestyles Subcommittee is recommending partnering with the Lee County Health Department to administer vaccinations at school for students older than the elementary grades.
“We're wanting to make good health as easy as possible for students,” said Mary Dennis at the Oct. 8 Keokuk School Board meeting.
The middle and high school nurses also serve on the subcommittee and would be an integral part of helping with the program.
Lee County Health Department can give vaccinations at no charge to students who qualify by household income levels.
“We'd also would like to offer the same opportunity to families who can pay,” said Dennis. “The health department does not have the resources to screen students, so that would need to be done by the district or volunteers. So screening students is a time obstacle.”
Subcommittee members also would plan an educational awareness campaign using direct mail and area media.
The health department needs a month's lead to order any type of vaccine. Two shots are a series given with six-month intervals.
According to literature from the health department, doctors recommend:
n All 11- to-19-year-olds get the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
n Girls ages 11- to-19 years-old should receive the human papillomarvirus (HPV) vaccine.
n All teens should have the hepatitis B vaccine.
Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. It can cause death. Meningococcal bloodstream infection can cause the loss of an arm or leg and sometimes death. The vaccine protects against these infections. Pre-teens should receive a single shot of this vaccine during their 11-or-12-year-old check-up. If missed then, it can still be given.
Tdap vaccine guards against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and diphtheria. It is an improvement to the old tetanus diphtheria booster because it adds protection from whooping cough. Pre-teens should receive a single shot of Tdap at their 11-or-12-year-old check-up.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus, most common in people in their teens and early 20s. It is the major cause of cervical cancer in women.
Vaccine HPV protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer and genital warts. This vaccine is recommended for 11-and-12 year-old girls, with three doses administered before their first sexual encounter when they could be exposed to HPV.
Hepatitis B (HBV) is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure and death.
The Hepatitis B vaccine prevents hepatitis B disease and its consequences. People need three doses of the vaccine to be fully protected.
“We want to get started, get feedback and raise awareness of what students need,” said Dennis. “We are thinking of starting with the junior class. If we send a letter out in January, order vaccines in February, the vaccines could be offered in March. When those students are seniors, we can offer the follow-up second shots in September and the third dose again in March.
“In the future, we'd like to target eighth grade students. The school nurses estimate the biggest help to start would be to offer the vaccines to those students qualifying for free and see how the program operates.”
Dennis said the Healthy Lifestyles Subcommittee should have a presence at fall school registration.
“A potential partner in this could be Tri-State Medical,” said board President Dr. Wilson Davis. “I've talked with Al Zastrow (Keokuk Area Hospital, chief executive officer). They go out to Midwest Academy and administer vaccines. All the academy students are registered as patients, so that's how they can do that. He is interested in helping the school district.”
Dennis said while volunteers and school nurses would screen students for eligibility, only Lee County Health Department nurses would administer the vaccines.
The board voted to endorse the concept of vaccinations in the middle and high schools.
“This is a volunteer program,” said Davis. “No one will be forced. The board supports a trial project to make this happen.”
The Healthy Lifestyles Subcommittee is recommending partnering with the Lee County Health Department to administer vaccinations at school for students older than the elementary grades.
“We're wanting to make good health as easy as possible for students,” said Mary Dennis at the Oct. 8 Keokuk School Board meeting.
The middle and high school nurses also serve on the subcommittee and would be an integral part of helping with the program.
Lee County Health Department can give vaccinations at no charge to students who qualify by household income levels.
“We'd also would like to offer the same opportunity to families who can pay,” said Dennis. “The health department does not have the resources to screen students, so that would need to be done by the district or volunteers. So screening students is a time obstacle.”
ADVERTISEMENT |
The health department needs a month's lead to order any type of vaccine. Two shots are a series given with six-month intervals.
According to literature from the health department, doctors recommend:
n All 11- to-19-year-olds get the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
n Girls ages 11- to-19 years-old should receive the human papillomarvirus (HPV) vaccine.
n All teens should have the hepatitis B vaccine.
Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. It can cause death. Meningococcal bloodstream infection can cause the loss of an arm or leg and sometimes death. The vaccine protects against these infections. Pre-teens should receive a single shot of this vaccine during their 11-or-12-year-old check-up. If missed then, it can still be given.
Tdap vaccine guards against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and diphtheria. It is an improvement to the old tetanus diphtheria booster because it adds protection from whooping cough. Pre-teens should receive a single shot of Tdap at their 11-or-12-year-old check-up.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus, most common in people in their teens and early 20s. It is the major cause of cervical cancer in women.
Vaccine HPV protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer and genital warts. This vaccine is recommended for 11-and-12 year-old girls, with three doses administered before their first sexual encounter when they could be exposed to HPV.
Hepatitis B (HBV) is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure and death.
The Hepatitis B vaccine prevents hepatitis B disease and its consequences. People need three doses of the vaccine to be fully protected.
“We want to get started, get feedback and raise awareness of what students need,” said Dennis. “We are thinking of starting with the junior class. If we send a letter out in January, order vaccines in February, the vaccines could be offered in March. When those students are seniors, we can offer the follow-up second shots in September and the third dose again in March.
“In the future, we'd like to target eighth grade students. The school nurses estimate the biggest help to start would be to offer the vaccines to those students qualifying for free and see how the program operates.”
Dennis said the Healthy Lifestyles Subcommittee should have a presence at fall school registration.
“A potential partner in this could be Tri-State Medical,” said board President Dr. Wilson Davis. “I've talked with Al Zastrow (Keokuk Area Hospital, chief executive officer). They go out to Midwest Academy and administer vaccines. All the academy students are registered as patients, so that's how they can do that. He is interested in helping the school district.”
Dennis said while volunteers and school nurses would screen students for eligibility, only Lee County Health Department nurses would administer the vaccines.
The board voted to endorse the concept of vaccinations in the middle and high schools.
“This is a volunteer program,” said Davis. “No one will be forced. The board supports a trial project to make this happen.”
 |
 |
|
| One year later | Environmental report: Bioenergy investment could mean more Iowa jobs |
Reader Comments
| Please log in or create an account by filling out the form on the right. | |
