If county health officials had their wish, all Mesa County children would be vaccinated against potentially dangerous diseases.

School District 51 has new vaccination requirements for the 2008–09 school year, which begins Aug. 18.

This year, the Tdap vaccine is required for incoming sixth-, seventh-, 10th- and 11th-graders. The Tdap shot vaccinates against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, or whooping cough.

One dose of Varicella, or chicken pox, vaccine is required for students in second through eighth grades, while two doses of the Varicella vaccine are required for kindergarten and first-graders.

Children can be suspended from school for not having the required vaccines, said Heather Lee, public nurse with the Mesa County Health Department.

In an effort to vaccinate as many school-age children as possible, the Health Department is scheduling appointments for children to be immunized before school starts.

“No child should not be vaccinated,” Lee said.

To make an appointment, contact 248-6900. Shots are $14.50 each and Medicaid, Rocky Mountain Health Plans and CNIC insurance are accepted. Parents need to bring insurance cards and children’s immunization records to appointments.

If people can’t afford $14.50, they are encouraged to pay as much as they can afford, Lee said.

Incoming District 51 kindergartners also are required to be vaccinated against polio and measles, mumps and rubella, which is taken care of with a MMR shot. In addition, incoming kindergartners are encouraged to receive a hepatitis A vaccine before school starts.

Lee said parents can refuse to have their children vaccinated for personal, medical or religious reasons.

She admitted there is a segment of the population opposed to having their children vaccinated and has researched both sides of the argument.

“Any time you get a vaccine, there’s always a risk,” Lee said.

Until 2005, children and adults received a tetanus and diphtheria booster shot, but that shot did not include protection against pertussis, which is prevalent in Colorado schools, said Health Department spokeswoman Kristy Westerman.

In fact, Lee and Westerman encouraged adults to check their immunization records and see how many years have passed since being vaccinated against tetanus as well as hepatitis A and to consider visiting a clinic to have booster shots.

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E-mail Melinda Mawdsley at melinda.mawdsley@gjsentinel.com.