PACF18, WEDN LSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1985. WHITrBY FREE PRESS Public health nurse says...... Children should b immunized before sehool starts By JAN DODGE Free Press Staff Children entering Whitby schools in Sep- tember need lm- munization against six disesses or they could face suspension and parents or guardians could be fined, accor- ding to Margaret Froud, supervisor of public heslth nursing for Durham Region's heslth services depar- tment. Under the Im- munization of School Pupils Act, in effect for three years now, al children under the age of 18 attendling school (eiementary, or secon- dary, public, private or separate> must be un- munlzed against dlphtheria, tetanus, polio myeitis, red measies, mumps, and rubella or German messies. ,,if children don't have shots, we don't prevent them froni en- tering sehool, but they must get shots soon af- WETrsuiTs '89.95 AND UP CHIPPER (FUNBOARD) $699 FOOTSTRAP FREE <VALUE $75> BUY ONE YIPSI <HIGH PERFORMANCE) AT I 295 AND RECEIVE A DIFFERENT MODEL BOARD We also carry: Fanatic, Mistral & Aliken Cail for delails or cQme in & see us!! W. also have Hot surf ing& beach attire 285 Tu.?. Rd. E. Fi" PoinMAU Mon..Wed. 10-6, Tfurs. & Frc 108 Saturdaysl105 WmmIN. Ceii Surf Hoiline for detilis 725-SURF (7873) ter entry or they will be sent home an& parents or guardians are hiable to a $1,000 fine," Froud said. Ideally injuctions shouid be given for dip- theria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 16-18 months, 4- 6 years, 14-16 yearS, and every 10 years after that throughout adulthood. After 12 mnonths chiidren shouid receive the mesies, mumps, and rubelia vaccine. According to the Day Nurseries Act, children must be immunîzed before entry. There are two exem- ptions aliowed for un- munization, Froud said. One is a medical exem- ption which must be signed by a physician, the other is a statement of conscience or religious belief exem- ption which also must be signed by a com- missioner (lawyer) and a parent. Also under the act, Froud said health departments are required.to keep a per- manent immunization record on every child at- tending school which mnust be updated while attending. Froud said this was an ongoing process for the 45,000 elementary stud- ents and 20,000 secon- dary students under Durham's department of health services care. As shots corne due, students are informed, and may choose to have them done by the public heaith nurse or the family doctor. For each student there is an im- munization record or green card which for the past three years has been filed and updated manually, but which the departmnent is in the process of coin- puterizing. The immunization records will be taken off the computer when students reach their nineteenth year, and will be stored. There are 57 health nurses invoived with the immunization prograin as a part of their work. Records are stili being compiled at the secondary level. This year they will have completed up to grade "The purpose of the wbole program is to in- crease the protection of heaith against the six diseases, " Froud said. forgotten just how serious these diseases can be, Froud reviewed some of the possibilitles. Diphtherla causes death in 1 out of 10 cases. Tetanus or lockjaw causes death in 6 out of 10 cases. Polio which often causes permanent crip- pling or paralysis is a 10w risk in Canada now, but only if protection is kept up. Red messies is the most serious of common childhood diseases. One out of ten will develop encephalitis which leads to convulsions, deaf- ness, and mental retar- dation. One in every ten thousand dies. A pregnant woman may suffer miscarriage or a deformed baby. Muxnps cause meningitis in 1 out of 10 cases. Inflammation of testicles in adolescent or aduit maies, and ovaries in females may cause severe pain, but rareiy causes sterility. Rubella produces an 80 per cent chance of bearing a deformed, biind, or otherwlse disabled chlld if the disease is contracted durlng the first trimester of pregnancy. Froud said public health nurses do not do regular inspections for head lice, but instead make available a flyer, for students, wlth suggestions for avoiding the problem. If a student is suspec- ted of having head lice he is sent home along with instructions of what must be done before he can be read- mitted. At this time, too, Froud said, notices would be sent home with the other students in the classroom, informing their familles that the problem is present in the classroom. "We think of head lice as a nuisance problem, not a health problem," she said. "We appreciate parents co-peration in keeping a record of their children's im- munization before they go to school," Froud said. Board facin strike by office workers The possibility of a strike by Durham Board of Education clerical workers looms just one week after students return to schools in Sep- tember. After an unsuccessful conciliation between the board and Canadian Union of Public Em- pioyees Local 218, which represents the 225- member clerical unit, the union bas applied for a no-board report Carolyn Johnston, chairman of the unit said. When it arrives, possibly Sept. 9, the union will be in a strike position. The union bas applied for mediation, and is now waiting for tbe Ministry of Labor to ap- point a mediator and set a date. be in the next two or three weeks," Johnston said. The clerical workers, which .include secretaries, do ail office work at elementary and secondary schoois, as well as the board office. They are asking for a pay raise equal to that recently given custodians. The average pay for clerical staff is $9.38 per hour; the average for custodians was $10.14, but now with the 60 cent increase across the board the gap bas widened. A cierical worker's qualifications include a grade 12 education, typing skilis, business machine skills, and an ability to get aiong with people since they desi with parents for the sehool. Tbey may also need bookkeeping and word processing skilis. Johnston said, "I an hopeful mediation will be successfu . . .The board bas been a fair employer in the past. I see a strike as a last resort." Should mediation faýIi, however, the unit ià prepared to strike. In June the union voted 97 per cent in favor of a strike. "We are adamant in our demands," John- ston said. "The iast time .we were on strike was 1970."- During September cierical workers look af- ter registrations, com- pilation of ciass lista and student records, and receive supplies for the new year. "A strike' wouid disrupt the school system, " Johnston said. SINRF PARb "END QI '85 DE 4 4pri ,F SEASON CLEAROUT" HOT DEALS ON EMO AND RENTAL BOARDS URNýITURE STRIPPIG Rsfinlshing & Custom Upholstery ANTIQUES BOUGHT & SOLI) Open 7Davs AWeek 413 Dundas St. E., Whltby, Ont. 668-5481 E&USED OFFIEFUR ITURE *BUVO RENT*SELL* LEASE 5H EL VING CKERS GRANT $IDE FILES F ILING CAJBINETS 4à M - ý ta -9