Pennsylvania School Law, Section 1402, mandates physical and dental examinations in certain grades. The state encourages parents to have the family physician or dentist do the examinations since these doctors are aware of the student’s health status and history. Examinations by the family physician or dentist are at the parent’s expense.
If your child has a doctor appointment throughout the year and receives any immunizations, please ask for a copy of your child’s updated immunization record and send it in to your school nurse. Remember to keep a copy for your home records.
If you prefer, the school district’s physician or dentist will provide the appropriate exams during the school year. There is no charge for the school exam.
Physical Examination Requirement
Grades: Kindergarten, 6, and 11
Dental Examination Requirement Grades: Kdg., 3 and 7
Scoliosis Screening Grades: 6 and 7
Immunizations regulations for Allegheny County will be changing for the 2008-2009 school year. In addition to the previously required immunizations, two doses of the Varicella vaccine (for chicken pox) will be required for allstudents in grades K-12. In addition, one dose of Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap) and 1 dose of the Meningitis vaccine (MCV4) will be required for all students in grades 7 – 12.
Immunization Requirements – Students will only be admitted with proof of completed immunizations.
Diptheria/Tetanus:
4 doses – one dose after 4th birthday
Polio:
3 doses
Measles:
2 doses on or after 1st birthday
Mumps:
2 doses on or after 1st birthday
Rubella:
1 dose on or after 1st birthday
Hepatitis B:
3 doses
Varicella:
2 doses on or after 1st birthday
Meningococcal (MCV4):
1 dose on or after 11th birthday
Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis (Tdap):
1 dose on or after the 10th birthday
Posted
2/26/08
Pennsylvania
Pandemic Website
The Pennsylvania
Department of Health recently launched a website
dedicated to providing accurate and reliable
information about the pandemic flu. For up
to date information about our state's pandemic
flu response, please click the button to the
left.
Posted
8/15/06
MRSA -
Parent Informational Letter
MRSA is a type of staphylococcus aureus bacteria
normally carried on the skin and nose of healthy
people. Some staph bacteria are resistant to the
class of antibiotics usually used to treat staph
infections such as methicillin and are referred to
as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. If
a diagnosis of MRSA is made, the infection is treated
with a different antibiotic. This infection commonly
causes boils and soft tissue infection. The symptoms
may include redness, areas warm to the touch, pain,
drainage, discomfort, and swelling. If your child
is displaying any of these symptoms or if you have
concerns about your child’s health, please
contact your family physician. It is very important
to report a diagnosed or a suspected infectious condition
to the school nurse as well as the athletic trainer.
As always, health information is kept strictly confidential.
Staphylococcus aureus
(“staph”) are bacteria commonly found
in the noses and on the skin of healthy people.
Staph with resistance to the antibiotic methicillin
(and other related antibiotics) are
known as methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus
aureus or “MRSA.” Resistance means
that a particular antibiotic will not work against
those bacteria.
When staph are present on or in the body without
causing illness it is called “colonization.” At
any given
time, from 20% to 50% of the general population is
colonized with staph bacteria; some may be MRSA
while others are not antibiotic-resistant.
When staph are present on or in the body without
causing illness it is called “colonization.” At
any given
time, from 20% to 50% of the general population is
colonized with staph bacteria; some may be MRSA
while others are not antibiotic-resistant.
Most people with staph are colonized only. These
bacteria can occasionally get through the skin barrier
and cause superficial infections (most such infections
are not severe). Symptoms of infection vary depending
on the part of body that is infected. Skin infections
(the most common site of staph infections) typically
result in local redness and warmth of the infected
area, with or without pus. Localized infections include
boils, impetigo and wound infections. Rarely, the
bacteria get into the bloodstream and other body
sites and
can cause more severe illness.
