Hepatitis B Vaccine Now Required

Sat., Jan. 18, 1997

By Marny Lombard marnyl@spokesman.com (509) 927-2166

Hey, moms and dads of toddlers and next year’s kindergartners: A new set of immunizations is required for your little ones before they can start school or day-care in September.

The series of three shots protects against hepatitis B, a liver disease.

September may seem a long time away, but the series of vaccinations takes six months. That means children need to get their first shot soon.

The new state law is intended to help wipe out hepatitis B, a leading cause of liver cancer, said Jan Palmer, supervisor of the Spokane County Health District health clinic.

“Basically, the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all people on Earth,” Palmer said. “It’s a wonderfully benign vaccine, with no side effects and no complications.”

The state is subsidizing the cost of the vaccine for children under 6. In addition to kindergarteners and day care children, HeadStart or ECEAP and incoming first-graders who attended a private kindergarten are required to be vaccinated by September. The state is also subsidizing the cost of vaccinating children ages 11 and 12.

Palmer recommends vaccinating all children.

While Spokane is not overrun by hepatitis B, some people who contract the disease never get better, she said. “They become chronic carriers and chances are good they’ll end up on a list for a liver transplant. And it’s completely preventable by vaccine.”

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