Dallas / Fort Worth Local News

  With the start of school within weeks, medical and school officials are reminding parents they must make sure their children's vaccinations are up-to-date.

The biggest misconception is that parents have 30 days after school starts to get their kids vaccinated.

Alice Turner-Jackson with the Fort Worth ISD said only those who transfer from another Texas school or those who are homeless can qualify for the 30-day provisional enrollment.

Dallas Independent School District officials remind parents a child's immunization record must be signed and dated by a physician or health clinic stamp.

Dallas County Health Officials encourage parents to take advantage of low-cost summer immunization clinic.

Among the most common vaccines those under 18 are required to have are: MMR, DTaP, Hib, Hep A, Heb B, IPV, influenza, Varicella Vaccine and PCV.

The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Children should get 2 doses of MMR vaccine. The first at 12-15 months of age and the second at 4-6 years of age or enrollment into Kindergarten. These are the recommended ages, but children can get the second dose at any age, as long as it is at least 28 days after the first dose.

Some adults should also get MMR vaccine. Generally, anyone 18 years of age or older, who was
born after 1956, should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine, unless they can show that they have had either the vaccines or the diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
notes.

MMR vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of MMR vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.

DTaP is a safer version of an older vaccine called DTP, which is no longer used in the United States, and incorporates the vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Diphtheria is a respiratory disease -- spread by coughing and sneezing -- is caused by bacteria. Its symptoms include gradual onset of a sore throat and low-grade fever.

Children should get five doses of DTaP vaccine, one dose at each of the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months and 4-6 years. DTaP should not be given to anyone 7 years of age or older because pertussis vaccine is only licensed for children under 7.

The CDC notes older children, adolescents and adults still need protection from tetanus and diphtheria. A booster shot called Td is recommended at 11-12 years of age, and then every 10 years.

The Hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person. People should get three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, according to the CDC vaccination schedule. Those who miss a dose or get behind schedule, need to receive the next dose as soon as possible. There is no need to start over.

About 1/3 of people who are infected with hepatitis B in the United States don't know how they got it.

A person can get infected in several ways, such as: by having unprotected sex with an infected person, by sharing needles when injecting illegal drugs, by being stuck with a used needle on the job or during birth when the virus passes from an infected mother to her baby.

The first dose should be given within 12 hours of birth. The second dose must be given at least 1 month after the first dose. The third dose must be given at least 2 months after the second dose and at least 4 months after the first. CDC recommendations say the third dose should not be given to infants under 6 months of age, because this could reduce long-term protection.

Adolescents 11 to 15 years of age may need only two doses of hepatitis B vaccine, separated by 4-6 months. Patients are encouraged to ask their health care provider for details.

Hepatitis B vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

People who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to baker's yeast (the kind used for making bread) or to a previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine should not receive the vaccine.

Children should get four doses of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).

The first dose is administered at an infant's 2-month well-child visit. The secondary dose is given at 4 months while the third dose is administered at 6-18 months. Four- to 6-year-olds are given the booster dose.

The polio vaccination began in 1955. The CDC says most adults do not need polio vaccine because they were already vaccinated as children.

But three groups of adults are at higher risk and should consider polio vaccination:
people traveling to areas of the world where polio is common, laboratory workers who might handle polio virus, and health care workers treating patients who could have polio.

Adults in these three groups who have never been vaccinated against polio should get 3 doses of IPV. Check with a physician for the schedule of doses.

Most people who get the chickenpox or varicella vaccine will not get chickenpox. Doctors say if someone who has been vaccinated does get chickenpox, it is usually very mild. They will have fewer spots, are less likely to have a fever and will recover faster.

Children should get 1 dose of chickenpox vaccine between 12 and 18 months of age, or at any age after that if they have never had chickenpox.

People who do not get the vaccine until 13 years of age or older should get 2 doses, 4-8 weeks apart.

Chickenpox vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Invasive pneumococcal disease is responsible for about 200 deaths each year among children under 5 years old. It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis -- an infection of the covering of the brain -- in the United States.

The Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine or PCV is dispensed in four doses for those children under 2.

The routine schedule for pneumococcal conjugate is at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12-15 months.

Doctors say children who weren't vaccinated at these ages can still get the vaccine. The number of doses needed depends on the child's age.

Again, ask a health care provider for details.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is also recommended for children between 2 and 5 years old who have not already gotten the vaccine and are at high risk of serious pneumococcal disease. The CDC notes this includes children who: have sickle cell disease, have a damaged spleen or no spleen, have HIV/AIDS, have other diseases that affect the immune system such as diabetes, cancer, or liver disease, or who take medications that affect the immune system such as chemotherapy or steroids, and those who have chronic heart or lung disease.

The vaccine should be considered for all other children under 5 years, especially those at higher risk of serious pneumococcal disease. This includes children who: are of Alaska Native, American Indian or African American descent or attend group day care.

Hepatitis A Vaccine, also known as Hep A, can cause mild "flu-like" illness, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes) or severe stomach pains and diarrhea.

People with hepatitis A often have to be hospitalized.

Two doses of the vaccine are needed for lasting protection. These doses should be given at least 6 months apart.

A person who has hepatitis A can easily pass the disease to others within the same household.

Hepatitis A vaccine is not licensed for children younger than 1 year of age.

For children, the first dose should be given at 12-23 months of age. Children who are not vaccinated by 2 years of age can be vaccinated at later visits.

For travelers, the vaccine series should be started at least one month before traveling to provide the best protection.

For others, the hepatitis A vaccine series may be started whenever a person is at risk of infection.