Healdsburg schools rate higher than county average
With school starting in a few short weeks, the county health department is reminding parents to ensure their children are up-to-date on their vaccines.
“Before school starts, parents should make sure their kids have received all necessary vaccines,” said Dr. Karen Holbrook, public health officer with the county department of health. “Talk to your healthcare provider to ensure their vaccines are up to date and get proper documentation.”
Since January 2016 the state has mandated that all children entering school or daycare facilities to be vaccinated. The new law eliminated the oft-used personal and religious exemptions. Under the current law, the only exemption allowed is a medical exemption.
Holbrook said the county does not review or have access to medical exemptions.
“When a physician sends one in, they indicate if it’s a temporary or permanent exemption,” Holbrook said. “They’re not required to list the conditions.”
A quick Google search indicates that medical exemptions can be a lucrative business for qualifying physicians. The law is written so that medical exemptions can cover a large swatch of conditions, from asthma to eczema.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain vaccines should be avoided for children with severely compromised immune systems who suffer from such diseases like epilepsy, intussusception (a rare intestinal disorder), HIV or AIDS or if they are undergoing chemotherapy.
Vaccines work to prevent against once-common childhood diseases including pertussis (whooping cough), measles, meningitis, mumps, rubella and tuberculosis.
“Vaccines help prevent diseases,” Holbrook said. “They are safe and effective and work to keep everyone safe from preventable diseases.”
Since the new law went into effect, the county’s vaccination rate has increased from 92.1 percent to 93.4 percent. The increase is less than the statewide uptick to 95.6 percent. The goal is to be above 90 percent.
According to the California Department of Public Health, in Healdsburg, 93.5 percent of all kindergarten children were fully vaccinated last year. Cloverdale had a rate of 99 percent and Windsor was at 97.5 percent, while west county lagged at 74.5 percent.
While schools and daycares with less than 90 percent vaccination rates are on the county’s radar, the department of health doesn’t have any punitive abilities.
“These schools are definitely aware,” Holbrook said. “When the law was about to be implemented, we went around and did educational sessions.”
Holbrook said the health department has working relationships with school administrations and nurses in effort to provide continuing education.
Should an outbreak occur, Holbrook said the department intervenes and works to make sure the disease or illness doesn’t spread.
“We take appropriate action,” Holbrook said.
The county hasn’t experienced an outbreak from a vaccine-preventable disease lately. Earlier this year, norovirus was making its way through the school system, Holbrook said. In response, the department alerted the public and other school districts.
She added that pertussis, or whooping cough, makes its way through the school system in waves, about every three or four years.
It’s been a while since the last pertussis wave, Holbrook said. “We’re ripe for one,” she added.
The best way to prevent a wave is immunization.
“Immunization protects the individual but also the group,” Holbrook said. “It benefits the unimmunized who may be unable to get vaccinated, but also the vaccinated.”
She said children who attend school with a large group of unvaccinated children could potentially be at higher risk, should an outbreak occur.
“Immunizations aren’t 100 percent effective. Some are very good. Some are good,” Holbrook said. “It’s a small percentage, but even immunized children can get sick.”
Many local health clinics offer vaccines, according to the county health department website. In Healdsburg, Alliance Medical Center provides vaccines. The clinic can be reached at 433-5494.
“Vaccines help prevent diseases,” Holbrook said. “They are safe and effective and work to keep everyone safe from preventable diseases.”
