Kindergarten Assessment results for 2008 have been released from the California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch.
Conducted each fall to monitor compliance with the California School Immunization Law, the results from this assessment are used to measure immunization coverage among students entering kindergarten.
Following are the present comparisons of Immunization coverage in kindergarten schools in this area.
The assessment done for 2008 was conducted in 8,219 of California's schools with kindergartens, which means 501,046 students, or 97.7 percent received required immunizations. Required immunizations are 4+DTP, 3+ Polio, 2+ MMR, 3+ Hep B and 1+ Var or physician documented varicella disease.
There were 928 or .19 percent students with permanent medical exemptions and 9,529 or 1.90 percent students with personal belief exemptions. Immunization coverage was above 93 percent for each vaccine.
School staff members complete the assessment reports and return them to local health departments and the Immunization Branch.
Butte County numbers listed were: 2,438 students with 2,337, or 91.72 percent receiving required immunizations. There were 110 conditional entrants, which means students are current, but conditionally enrolled, because they have not had the last shot yet, because it is not due.
The total amount of kindergartners in Butte County who did not receive immunizations because of personal belief, or PBE was 97, or 3.81 percent. This could also be a student who may be allergic to certain shots.
According to the Kindergarten Assessment of California, out of 35 students enrolled, 34 students, or 97.14 percent of Biggs Elementary received the required immunizations.
For McKinley School Kindergartners, out of 174 students, 167, or 95.98 percent have received immunizations, with five listed as conditional, or 2.87 percent. Two are listed as PBE.
Manzanita School is listed with 25 kindergartners, 23 received immunizations, or 92 percent, with one conditional and one student listed as PBE.
Gridley Unified School Nurse Martha Rickaby stated, "I feel that our elementary schools and medical providers in Butte County are doing a great job working together to insure our students are healthy, and that immunizations are current. Since we have such an influx of people coming from other areas of the country and foreign countries, as well, it is important that we protect our children from diseases which are totally preventable with available vaccines."
