LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico State University Nursing School, the New Mexico Department of Health and Las Cruces Public Schools are collaborating to provide immunization clinics in seven LCPS middle schools in late February and early March.
Sixth-grade students will receive a dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine. The Department of Health and the district require all students entering seventh grade to get a Tdap vaccination.
Infants and children receive vaccinations for these diseases, but in a different formulation. DTaP vaccinations are given at two, four and six months of age, again at 15 to 18 months, and a booster is recommended for children ages 4 to 6. However, the amount of immunity wanes over time and older children need to get the Tdap vaccine. The recommended age for this booster dose is between ages 11 and 12. Adults also need this vaccine, and a booster is recommended every 10 years.
Many people think that the diseases we vaccinate against are diseases of the past, but think again: Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been on the rise in the United States since the 1980s. Pertussis can lead to coughing spells, vomiting and potentially to pneumonia. Pertussis is especially concerning in children under a year old. In 2009, there were 14 deaths linked to pertussis nationally. Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat, causing breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and even death. Both pertussis and diphtheria are spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing or touching objects that have been coughed or sneezed on. Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria. Once the bacteria get into the body, through cuts, scratches or wounds, they produce a toxin or poison that causes painful muscle spasms and tightening of the jaw. This is where the term “lockjaw” comes from. Tetanus kills about one in five people who are infected.
Immunizations protect our entire community. These diseases are preventable with just one shot. The middle school vaccination clinics will make your life easier – no trips to the doctor’s office, no need to take time off of work and no problem with student schedules being withheld because the student hasn’t received the mandated vaccination once the new school year begins.
This vaccination is required. Without it, your child will not be able to start seventh grade. However, should you choose to have your child vaccinated at your own doctor’s office, that is fine. Please provide your child’s school nurse with documentation.
Consent forms will be going home with your sixth-grade child in the next couple of weeks. Upon return of the completed consent form, children will be immunized at school, free of cost to parents. NMSU nursing students will be at Camino Real and Sierra Middle Schools on Feb. 25, Lynn and Mesa middle schools on March 4, Vista Middle School on March 9, and Picacho and Zia middle schools on March 11. Please take advantage of this free service.
This column was written by the NMSU School of Nursing, Community Health Nursing class and Cindy Lyell, assistant professor. Lyell can be reached at cindyl@nmsu.edu. For further information, contact your child’s middle school nurse.
Website: www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-health/ci_17394282