- Mayor Giuliani is urging parents of 100,000 seventh-graders
to make sure their kids get Hepatitis B vaccination shots before heading
back to school next week - or risk getting kicked out of class.
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- "Students who are not vaccinated against Hepatitis
B won't be allowed to attend school," Giuliani said in a public-service
announcement.
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- "Please do this now. Make sure your child is protected
against Hepatitis B . . . and is able to attend seventh grade this fall."
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- Hepatitis B is a potentially deadly disease that, if
untreated, can cause liver cancer.
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- A 1998 federal law requires all children to be immunized
for Hepatitis B before entering kindergarten.
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- City Health Department spokeswoman Sandra Mullin said
the officials are playing "catch up" with vaccinating older children
who haven't been vaccinated.
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- Hepatitis B can be transmitted through sharing unwashed
utensils, a toothbrush or dirty hypodermic needles. It can also be transmitted
sexually.
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- Health and Board of Education officials said they won't
know how many of the 100,000 students haven't been vaccinated until the
start of school next month. But the number could be in the thousands.
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- In order to avoid the loss of school time, health officials
will try to prod parents to vaccinate their kids within 24 hours after
learning they're susceptible to Hepatitis B, Mullin said.
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- Giuliani and health officials stressed that the series
of Hepatitis B shots - given over a four- to six-month period - is covered
by health insurance.
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- Clinics will provide free Hepatitis B shots for kids
without a doctor or health insurance, the mayor added. For the location
of a clinic near you, call (800) 325-CHILD.
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- Clinic hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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- Vaccination requirements have been a source of controversy
from a small number of parents who refuse to have their kids immunized
for religious or medical reasons. Some parents fear that the vaccines are
more dangerous than the diseases.
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- But the medical community and city officials have said
vaccination is the best prevention.
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- http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/3023.htm
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