KEYWORDS:
Adolescent Immunization, School Based Clinics

BACKGROUND:
The Mesa School District is the largest district within the county. It has 96 schools and approximately 77,000 students. In 1997 Arizona began the implementation of a Hepatitis B and 2nd MMR rule that added two grades to the requirement each year until the year 2006 when these vaccines will be required for Kindergarten through 12th grade. Maricopa County Public Health and Mesa Fire Department were unable to meet the demands of the increased populations at immunization clinics. Parents and school nurses exhibited frustration in attempting to get the needed immunizations.

OBJECTIVE(S):
1) Increase the immunizations rates of children attending the Mesa Schools. (2) Combine the financial and staffing resources of Mesa Fire Department and Maricopa County.

METHOD(S):
To provide immunization clinics in strategically chosen schools throughout Mesa. The immunization clinics would be completed in two days and as many as 15 schools would be visited. The components of an immunization clinic were divided among the Mesa school district, County Health Department and the Mesa Fire Department. The school nurse arranged for space at their school, identified sixth graders who needed MMR and Hepatitis B vaccine, arranged for volunteers, and obtained signed consent from the parents. The County Health Department provided the Vaccine Information Sheets, Immunization Consent Forms, vaccine, medical policies, safety syringes and entered all of the children into the Arizona State Immunization Information System (registry). The Mesa Fire Department provided on-duty immunization medics and a nurse to administer the immunizations.

RESULT(S):
In May of 2001, 559 students received 680 immunizations. In September of 2001, 932 students received 1117 immunizations. In November of 2001, 1311 students received 1529 immunizations. The time spent in each school ranged form 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
Program to continue into the year 2002.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The participant will identify how to combine resources.