Time for those school immunizations

A trip to the doctor for those school immunizations. But what your child needs may or may not be in stock. That can be an inconvenience for healthcare workers and parents. <br><br>The good news is that

Tuesday, July 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A trip to the doctor for those school immunizations. But what your child needs may or may not be in stock. That can be an inconvenience for healthcare workers and parents.

The good news is that health officials say the shortage for some shots is over. But some folks may still have to wait to get them. The News on Six anchor Scott Thompson says it's almost time for school, and these kids have the shots to prove it.

Last year, a national shortage of vaccines took the sting out of starting school. Now Tulsa County is starting to see a turn-around. But it may take a while for the trend to hit your doctor's office. Becky Grubb with the Tulsa City-County Health Department: "But the providers, its going to take just a little while to get enough vaccine to handle the immunizations especially those kids we gave deferrals to." Some vaccines such as chicken pox and MMR are in shorter supply than others.

So while these kids showed off their badges of honor, some children might have to wait. "If they all came in right now we wont have enough vaccine for them so we're asking the schools honor those deferrals."

But health officials warn you should roll up your sleeves now, or face an even longer wait in the fall. "The wait for immunization in the clinics is several hours when they get into August. So if they're patient bring a book and come in August. But if they'd like to get in and out quickly, the sooner the better." And better for Tulsa's kids. "We feel like we should be able to prevent diseases if there's a vaccine available for it." Health officials say you should contact your doctor to find out which vaccines are available.

And if your kids still need their shots, mark your calendar. The Tulsa City-County Health Department and Southcrest Hospital are giving them for free on Saturday, August 10th.