We told you last week what shots the schoolchildren will need, but there are some advised for children even before school age. Caroline Jacobsen, the state health department’s chief of immunization, says a shot called “hib” is a good idea to prevent flu from spreading in a daycare setting.HIB or Hemophilus Type B is a kind of flu shot, and is required for kids who go to a licensed daycare. There’s another new vaccine your doctor could offer to prevent another common childhood disease.Varicella or chicken pox isn’t required in Iowa, though many states want kids to have it, and it’s a good idea to get the shot. For the other shots like measles that kids must have once they go to school, Jacobsen recommends parents keep their own records. She says each year they get calls from parents who don’t have that, and kids will need it all the way into college. A child’s Certificate of Immunization must be on file, and if the family moves, your school can send it on to the next school. And for parents who want to skip all the shots for health or religious reasons, Jacobsen says the state does have a procedure. One form lets the family doctor state how a child’s allergic to the medicine, another certifies the parents are forgoing shots for religious reasons. The time may come when the state helps you keep track of those vaccinations, for public-health reasons. Iowa is working on an Immunization Registry like the records kept for public health clinics, so some day they can give you a copy of the complete record. Till then, Jacobsen says parents should take the trouble to keep a complete record of all shots a child has received.
