Recently the Wisconsin Student Immunization law was changed and will affect children in day care centers and school grades kindergarten, 6th, 9th and 12th. The change will go into effect this fall with the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. The law has also been amended to require vaccine providers to share immunization information between themselves and with schools or day care centers without written or verbal permission from the student’s parents or the students.

Beginning this fall, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) will be required for all children entering day care centers. The PCV vaccine protects young children from a serious infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Invasive pneumococcal disease is responsible for about 200 deaths each year among children under 5 years of age. It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States.

The Wisconsin Student Immunization Law will also require: One dose of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) for students entering 6th, 9th and 12th grades, and two doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine for students entering kindergarten, 6th and 12th grades beginning the 2008-2009 school year. Additional grades will be added each year through the 2010-2011 school year, until all children are covered.

Tdap is a new vaccine that is recommended for adolescents to help prevent pertussis (whooping cough) outbreaks in schools. From 1986 through 2004, Wisconsin had the 5th highest rate of pertussis in the nation with almost 5,000 cases being reported in 2004 alone. Pertussis is a very serious disease, and can lead to violent coughing, rib fractures, pneumonia and hospitalization due to complications. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that adolescents aged 11-18 years receive a single dose of Tdap. The Tdap vaccine will not be required for students who have received a tetanus or diphtheria containing vaccine within 5 years of entering grades 6, 9 or 12.

Chickenpox (also called varicella) is a common childhood disease. It is usually mild, but it can be serious, especially in young infants and adults. Previously in Wisconsin, only students who had received their first dose of varicella vaccine at 13 years of age or older were required to receive a second dose, while children less than 13 years of age were required to receive only one dose. Studies now indicate that two doses of varicella vaccine have been shown to be more effective than one in preventing breakthrough disease in all age groups. In 2007, the ACIP recommended that all persons who received their first dose of varicella vaccine receive a second dose. The varicella vaccine will not be required for students who have a history of chickenpox disease.

Monroe County Health Department plans school-based immunization clinics beginning this spring and this coming fall to vaccinate children affected by the Wisconsin Immunization Law changes. Your child’s school will be sending home information on upcoming school clinics. Parents may also contact their healthcare provider or the Monroe County Health Department at 372-8666 or 269-8666 to address any questions or to schedule an immunization appointment.