Sunday, August 19, 2001

Texas kids aren't getting their shots

AUSTIN - Since 1994, Texas has ranked below the national average in childhood immunizations every year except one. The state's poor ranking prompted Texas Health officials in May 2000 to initiate a comprehensive action plan that focuses on improving childhood immunization levels.
   But despite the state efforts, a recent federal survey showed that only 69.5 percent of Texas children ages 35 months through 19 were fully immunized against seven diseases in 2000.
   The survey, covering about 30,000 children, was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control from January through December 2000 in all 50 states and in 28 metropolitan areas. The national immunization rate was 77.6 percent, down from 79.9 percent the previous year. Texas is 8 percent below the national average and nearly 20 percent below the highest-ranking state, North Carolina.
   Texas' low immunization rate earned the state a last-place ranking in the nation for children receiving the 4:3:1 vaccine series. This series includes four doses of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, three doses of polio vaccine and one dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
   Parents in Texas who have not immunized their children should heed this wake-up call and take the initiative to protect the health of their kids.
   Texas health officials did not expect to be ranked worst in the nation, although they acknowledge it will take time for their efforts to pay off.
   Perhaps some parents in Texas have become complacent because the state has not seen an increase in vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. For example, Texas listed seven cases of measles, six of tetanus, nine of rubella and 35 cases of mumps in 1999, according to the Texas Department of Health. No cases of diphtheria have been reported in the state since 1982, and the last case of polio was in 1977.
   ''Raising immunization levels will take a collaborative effort that includes parents, providers, schools, businesses and local and state government,'' said Dr. Sharilyn Stanley, associate commissioner for disease control and prevention at the Texas Department of Health.
   But instead of waiting for the government to prod them, Texas parents need to take the initiative and make sure their children are fully immunized. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to accomplish this. The state offers free vaccinations for children on Medicaid or those who meet certain economic requirements. And some retailers, such as Wal-Mart, have initiated programs to help get more children immunized.
   Parents can find out what vaccines are required and at what age by logging on to the Internet at: http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/immunize/summary.htm or by calling the Texas Department of Health at 512-458-7284.
   Vaccinations protect children
   Meanwhile, the state's low immunization ranking has many Texas doctors concerned.
   ''I receive a lot of questions from parents concerned about keeping their children healthy and happy,'' wrote Dr. David Smith, a Houston pediatrician and president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, in a recent article.
   ''I tell them one of the most effective ways to keep their children healthy is by making sure they are up to date with their vaccination schedule.''
   Smith points out a few statistics to show the importance of vaccines. Before vaccines, polio paralyzed 13,000 to 20,000 people every year; measles affected nearly every American and killed an average of 450 people a year; and whooping cough killed 9,000 annually and left thousands with brain damage, seizures and mental retardation.
   ''To leave your children unprotected and put them at risk of death or suffering from the permanent side effects of these devastating diseases is truly taking risks with the highest stakes of all: your children's health and well-being,'' Smith wrote.
  
   Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau and can be reached at 512-334-6640 or meighant@scripps.com.
  
  
  

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Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau. You can reach him by phone at (512) 334-6640 or by email at meighant@scripps.com.

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