AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION; VACCINATIONS FOR KIDS CAN BE LIFESAVERS.

Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan Daily News Staff Writer

Pity the little ones this time of year. Not only do they have to trade swimsuits for school clothes, many of them have to undergo that prickly right of childhood - getting their immunizations.

Children must have documentation of proper immunizations before admission to public schools, state-licensed day-care centers and preschool programs, said Nina Vassilian, chief of health education for the Los Angeles County Immunization Program.

The necessary vaccinations include Hib meningitis, mumps, rubella, diptheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and polio. Several require a series of injections.

The number of inoculations kids need has grown over the years. Kindergarten students 30 years ago needed only eight vaccinations, Vassilian said. Today's kids need as many as 18.

Two were added in August 1997: hepatitis B and a beefed-up measles vaccine. Previously, the vaccination for measles required only one dose, but after an outbreak in the late '80s, state health authorities began requiring children to have two, said Dr. Zuzka Eggena, a county Department of Health Services district health officer.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and sexual contact, but giving children the inoculations early can prevent future health problems, Eggena said.

Students heading into the seventh grade in the fall of 1999 also will need to have the Hepatitis B series.

The chickenpox vaccination is another newcomer. While it's not required for entrance into school, the state Department of Health Services strongly recommends children who have not already had chickenpox get vaccinated.

Kindergarten students and new first-graders must also bring the written results of a tuberculosis test completed in the last 12 months.

In Los Angeles County, 98 percent of school-age children have received all of their needed immunizations, according to a recent survey by the county Department of Health Services.

But only 57 percent of children age 5 and younger have received the proper immunizations for their age.

``We urge parents not to wait until the child is ready to go to school,'' Vassilian said. ``Parents should check the immunization records of younger siblings and make sure those are up to date as well.''

Family physicians should have a record of all vaccinations the child has received.

If parents can't find the records, the child will need to get the immunizations again. Repeated immunizations will not cause harm, Vassilian said.

School nurses will review and update medical records to ensure children are getting the vaccinations they need. If parents do not comply, the child will be excluded from school until parents bring in the documentation that the child has been brought up to date with vaccinations.

``We don't want any child to be kept out of school for lack of immunizations,'' said Virginia Hayes, director of Los Angeles Unified School District Nursing Services. ``The overall goal is to make sure the proper immunizations are available to every family with children, regardless of their economic circumstances.''

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services offers free immunizations at a variety of health centers and community clinics. Call [phone] for locations and hours.

For more information about immunizations, call the school nurse at the campus your child will attend or Los Angeles Unified School District Nursing Services at [phone].

A shot summary

Children entering kindergarten need to be immunized against a variety of diseases. The precise dosages vary, depending on the make of the vaccination and the age of the child when the first dose was administered.

Your family physician or a county health center medical worker can advise you on what inoculations the child still needs, but the basic list of shots includes:

Polio - 4 doses

DPT (diptheria, pertussis, tetanus) - 5 doses

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) - 2 doses

Hepatitis B - 3 doses

Chickenpox, highly recommended for children who have not had chickenpox already.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, box

PHOTO Andy Gavoutian, 5, is comforted by father Sarkis while nurse Yurie Bornazyan gives the youngster an MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) immunization at the Glendale Health Center.

David Sprague/Daily News

Box: A shot summary (see text)