State epidemiologist: Vaccinations are 'best way' to protect children against infection
Hundreds of children have been coming into Hattiesburg Clinic Children's Clinic in recent weeks for the immunizations required to go to school. Dr. Megan Harvey has been seeing many of them.
"We're booked every day by 8:15 a.m.," she said. "Primarily our kindergarten through fourth-graders, but we've had our fair share of middle schoolers."
A number of vaccinations are required for first-time school entry in Mississippi. In addition, seventh-graders must receive the Tdap — tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis — vaccine. Then there are several recommended vaccines for adolescents.
"The Tdap is a very important booster to prevent pertussis," state chief epidemiologist Paul Byers said. "Adolescents can be infected with pertussis, and it can be a source of infection for people who have been inadequately vaccinated or unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons."
Mississippi started requiring seventh-graders to get the Tdap vaccine in the 2012-13 school year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection.
"We want to ensure that our students are protected from these potentially life-threatening diseases," said Gina Gallant, Forrest County School District administrator in an email.
The district makes a special effort to publicize the need for the Tdap vaccine, sending letters to the parents of sixth-grade students, putting the requirement in the student handbook, posting the need on its website and reminding parents through phone calls.
"Most of our parents are very agreeable and are not reluctant to meet the Tdap requirements," Gallant said. "We have approximately 5 percent of our students who attempt to enter without the Tdap vaccination.
"Most students without the Tdap are new to the district. (They) are asked to visit the health department or their physician to receive the vaccination."
All 50 states have laws requiring specific vaccinations for students. But Mississippi, California and West Virginia are the only states that do not allow exemptions based on religious, personal, moral or other beliefs.
Some parents may worry about vaccine safety. According to the CDC, the United States currently has the safest vaccine supply in history. Millions of children are safely vaccinated each year, with the most common side effects being pain or swelling at the injection site.
"(It's) nothing that a sucker and a sticker won't take care of," Harvey said. "The nice thing about school immunizations is that they have been around for a long time. They are extremely safe."
The latest scientific studies show no link between vaccines and autism, though some people have suggested a compound in vaccines that contains mercury may lead to the disease. Numerous scientists and researchers continue to study this compound as well as the potential for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to cause autism, but have found no relationship between the two.
"Vaccinations are the best way to protect your child from the infections that used to be very common and could cause a serious illness, hospitalization and even death," Byers said. "Not only do vaccinations protect your child, they protect those children two years or younger who have yet to be vaccinated, but also those children who can't be vaccinated."
The costs for all those immunizations can add up. According to the website CostHelper.com, the average total expense for all vaccines during childhood and adolescence is about $1,170. But Harvey said insurance usually pays for most immunizations.
"Any of the vaccinations that are required will be covered by general insurance or Medicaid," she said. "Some that are recommended may not be covered, but I would say 90 percent of the larger insurance companies cover those too, so there should be very little out-of-pocket cost."
In addition, children 18 and under who are eligible for the federal Vaccines for Children program can receive immunizations for $10 each at county health department.
"For the general health of the community, we want to see the child vaccinated," Harvey said. "All of the children in my life have been vaccinated. I get a yearly flu vaccine, and if a new vaccine came out, I would get that, too.
"In general, there have been small outbreaks of measles and mumps each year, but those outbreaks do not compare to those 30 to 40 years ago. What our vaccinations have been able to do for us is pretty incredible."
At a glance
Required vaccinations for children entering Mississippi schools for first time:
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella and chickenpox. Seventh-graders must receive the Tdap — tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis — vaccine.
Human papillomavirus and meningococcal for 11- to 15-year-olds; meningococcal for 16- to 18-year-olds.
Tdap: 75 percent
Meningococcal: 55 percent*
HPV: 24 percent female*, 21 percent male
*lowest rate in United States