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Highlands Today

Immunization Shots Are Dreaded, But Protect Children

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Immunization supervisor Jackie Stiles prepares a Haemophilus b conugate vaccine for a child Tuesday at the Highlands County Health Department in Avon Park.

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By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: July 2, 2008

SEBRING — It's inching toward back-to-school time and not too early to start thinking about preparation for the first day of classes.

Kids will soon contemplate getting up earlier, and parents will consider buying pencils, notebooks and keeping their children's immunization booster shot schedule up to date.

At the Highlands County Health Department's Avon Park office Tuesday, 4-month-old Jaquelyn Olvera Garcia let out a cry after Jackie Stiles, immunization supervisor, poked the child with a needle in the upper leg.

Mother Martha Garcia wanted her daughter to be healthy, but still looked more upset and pained by the procedure than her daughter did.

"It hurts mom more than the baby," said Stiles with a smile.
"It burns, I know," the nurse said, while cradling the infant in her arms. "But it's better now." Although she knows the benefits of booster shots, Garcia said she felt like crying following her daughter's reaction to the inoculation.

Soon after a booster shot is given, and with a parent's permission, Stiles presents a child with a cookie and a sticker which reads, "I Was Great."

"You know that you're hurting them, but you're protecting them from illness," said Stiles.

The Highlands County Health Department nurse repeats the immunization process at no charge, regardless of family income, hundreds of times each year. She immunizes one day per week in Avon Park, one day each week in Lake Placid and three days a week in Sebring.

A child undergoes a typical regimen of immunization booster shots at 2, 4, 6 and 15 months of age, or six times prior to age 5.

Shots protect kids from diseases including, mumps, polio and whooping cough. Vaccinations are required for all children prior to entrance into preschool or kindergarten.

Less than a handful of parents tell Stiles they refuse to inoculate their children each year. The county has a 97 percent compliancy rate for inoculations, while the state aims for 90 percent, for 2 year olds, said Stiles.

If a child is not protected against measles or another contagious disease commonly inoculated for, and a fellow student is infected, the non-inoculated child is not able to attend school until an outbreak is over.

She supplies parents with written information on immunizations and urges them to immunize on schedule. When parents miss a shot, three attempts at contact are made by the department.

A statewide data base keeps track of immunizations. The computerized system does not replace paper records held by parents, but acts as an additional online safety measure, if a parent's copy is lost.

Stiles suggested regular infant visits to a physician. Federally funded Central Florida Health Care staffs physicians and charges a sliding fee depending on income.

Stiles noted that easier and more common international travel warrants an added need for immunizations. Travelers bring diseases nearly eradicated in America, such as Polio which can infect U.S. residents.

Dr. Antonio Roa regularly inoculates adults with flu vaccine, from shingles and with tetanus booster shots. Roa also said many world travelers should be inoculated against common diseases including cholera and malaria.

Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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