COUNTY OFFERS KIDS FREE IMMUNIZATIONS.Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer NEWHALL - A steady stream of children braved immunizations Saturday at Newhall Elementary School elementary school: see school. as the city kicked off its annual Operation Immunization immunization: see immunity; vaccination. . The free service will continue throughout the summer, offering vaccinations for such diseases as hepatitis A Hepatitis A Definition Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It varies in severity, running an acute course, generally starting within two to six weeks after contact with the virus, and lasting no and B, tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella rubella or German measles, acute infectious disease of children and young adults. It is caused by a filterable virus that is spread by droplet spray from the respiratory tract of an infected individual. . ``Some of these illnesses are horrendous,'' said Lupe Lopez, director of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. Service Center. ``Thank goodness in this county we have services like these so that a child can have a wonderful and healthy life.'' The service, sponsored by the office of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , the Department of Children and Family Services and the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, is available to children of all ages, though infants must be at least 6 weeks old. Karen and Dennis Mayfield of Canyon Country said they were grateful for the free shots because their jobs make it difficult to take their 3-year- old son, John, during the week. ``If we had to go to the health department for this, we'd have to take a day off of work. That's not easy,'' Karen Mayfield said. ``And we're between health insurance right now and we travel all the time. This is a great service.'' Lopez said many of the parents learned about the service from their children's school. Fliers promoting the immunizations were sent home with every student in every school in the Santa Clarita Valley. ``There is really no reason why anyone in this county shouldn't be immunized,'' Lopez said. ``The county has to be responsible to ensure services to its people,'' Lopez said. ``We just make it more accessible for the families to get them.'' The seventh annual Operation Immunization for Santa Clarita will continue on scheduled days through late August. For information, call (661) 254-0072. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Omar Reyna eyes a needle as he waits to be immunized Saturday at Newhall Elementary School during Operation Immunization. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer Box: IMMUNIZATION CENTERS (see text) |
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