PULSE VACCINE POLICY NOT IMMUNE TO CONTENTION.

The debate between U.S. health officials and those who question the wisdom and safety of the nation's immunization program has left many parents confused, even frightened.

And it's a debate that takes on added urgency as children head back to school this month. In California, children in kindergarten through 12th grade are required to have up-to-date vaccinations to attend public and private schools unless their parents opt out for religious or medical reasons.

But a recent survey of 1,000 new parents found 80 percent didn't know which shots their children needed. Or when. Or what the shots protected against.

For children 2 years of age and younger, vaccines protect against such preventable diseases as chicken pox, diphtheria, measles, mumps and polio.

However, some 20 percent of the nation's 2-year-olds haven't had one or more of the recommended shots, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Despite these recommendations, some question the safety of the vaccines.

The National Vaccine Information Center is calling for government funding of independent research into possible links between vaccines and neurological and autoimmune disorders, including autism, multiple sclerosis, asthma, diabetes and learning disabilities.

Diane Peterson, associate director for immunization projects at the Immunization Action Coalition in St. Paul, counters that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks, which she believes are minimal.

``There has been study after study done that refutes these allegations. All of these vaccines are tested very carefully before they are licensed,'' she says.

To help students meet immunization requirements, the Los Angeles Unified School District is offering free vaccination clinics throughout the fall and winter. Children up to 18 years of age will be immunized against polio, measles, mumps and rubella, Haemophilus Influenza Type B and hepatitis A and B. The tuberculosis skin test will also be available. A parent or legal guardian must accompany minors and bring all previous immunization records. For more information, call the district's Nursing Services at [phone].

- Staff and Wire Services

MORE SHOTS: Most college students don't especially like to have to think about vaccinations as part of their back-to-school list, but if it means fighting off a potentially lethal bacterial disease, that little jab may be worth the effort.

Bacterial meningitis - also called meningococcal disease - is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The bacterial form, which can cause brain or blood disease, can be fatal. The disease is rare, but three L.A.-area college campuses have had bacterial meningitis fatalities since 1998. None was in the San Fernando Valley.

The state's Department of Health Services in Sacramento reported 429 cases of bacterial meningitis in 2002 - an increase of 85 cases from the previous year and the first time in four years that the total number of cases in California has failed to decrease from the previous year. Seventy-nine of those cases were in L.A. County.

To find out more about inoculations against bacterial meningitis, contact your campus health department.

- Evan Henerson

VISION SCREENING: In addition to new clothes and immunizations, optometrists say children's back-to-school preparations should include an annual eye exam. According to the American Optometric Association, fewer than one in three children between the ages of 6 and 16 received an eye exam in the previous year. Yet the National Center for Health Statistics found that up to 25 percent of children enter school with significant vision problems, which can impede their ability to learn. While many schools provide a vision screening, these tests are not as comprehensive as an examination performed by an optometrist, according to the association. And thanks to Harry Potter, wearing glasses is no longer a corrective measure but a fashion statement.

- Mariko Thompson

Clinics

Local District A

--Devonshire Elementary School, 10045 Jumilla Ave., Chatsworth: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 10 and Oct. 15.

--Kennedy High School, 11254 Gothic Ave., Granada Hills: Noon to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Sept. 22, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Nov. 3 and Dec. 8.

--Columbus Middle School Clinic, 22250 Elkwood, Canoga Park: Call [phone] for an appointment.

Local District B

--Byrd Middle School, 9171 Telfair Ave., Sun Valley: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 9, Oct. 22 and Dec. 2. Noon to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and Nov. 5.

--Mount Gleason Middle School, 10965 Mount Gleason Ave., Sunland: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 13 and Oct. 8.

--Reed Middle School, 4525 Irvine Ave., North Hollywood: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 and Nov. 10.

Local District C

--San Fernando Valley Nursing Office, 6505 Zelzah Ave., Reseda: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Monday and Friday. No TB tests Oct. 3, Nov. 14, Nov. 24, Dec. 19 and Jan. 16. No clinic Jan. 9 and Jan. 19, 2004.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) School nurse Margaret Robin-Goldberg administers an immunization to Ivan Sanchez, 9, of Reseda during LAUSD's free vaccination clinic. The clinics continue throughout the fall and winter to help students meet immunization requirements.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2) no caption (glasses)

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

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Clinics (see text)