Children attending schools in Pennsylvania are required by the state to have certain .
School children are known to be in a group that is at a high risk for.
contracting communicable and potentially dangerous diseases. Requiring this immunity.
before the child enters school protects the child before the child enters an environment .
which readily lends itself to the transmission of disease. As a school nurse, I am the one.
responsible to make sure that the children in my district have all the immunizations that.
they are required to have. I have had some parents that have not wanted to have their.
child immunized. I would like to discuss the mandated immunizations in Pennsylvania.
(paying special attention to the newest vaccination, Varicella ). Some of the different.
reasons why parents don't comply with these immunizations and what I can do as a .
school nurse to be sure that the children are receiving their immunizations. .
Routine pediatric immunization programs have eradicated many of the .
infectious diseases of childhood, and have been one of the most remarkable .
public health accomplishments ( Edwards, 2000) . In the state of Pennsylvania .
children are required to have the following : (please refer to the chart titled .
Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule, United States, January-December .
2001.
DTaP : A combination of Diphtheria, Tetanus ( Lockjaw ) and Pertussis.
( Whooping Cough ). The "a" is for accellular which is safer than the older vaccine called.
DTP. DTP is no loner used in the United States. Children are required to have four doses.
of DTaP with the last being given before their 4th birthday. DTaP is a bacterial .
infection.
Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat that causes breathing .
problems and heart failure . Tetanus is also known to many as Lockjaw because it can .
lead to the locking of the jaw which prevents the victim to open their mouth in order to .
swallow.
Pertussis ( Whooping Cough ) lends the victim to coughing spells that make it hard to eat,.
