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Show MAY 2, 2001 WASATCH COUNTY COURIER Utah Working To Improve Immunization Rates SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Utah has reached a milestone of having 500,000 child immunizations in the state’s vac- Disease Control for the project launched in 1995, which has been met with mixed reviews nationally. Opponents had said the system might be a way for insurance companies and cination registry, and the state’s ranking on the issue has improved dramat- ically in the past several years. others to discriminate against people Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says immu- who have opted not to get immunized or who have not completed the required:series of immunizations. But Utah First Lady Jackie Leavitt, who has adopted immunization as a cause for the last eight years, said there is no reason to fear. nization levels are at record highs, and Utah’s national ranking for immunization moved from 49th to 22nd. : The help keep track of immunizations, the state has established a database of all the shots children receive. “Tt is important for parents to siader Utah was one of the first states that stand it’s an information sharing system. The purpose is to be helpful and received funding from the Centers for give parents information,” Leavitt said. Sometimes, it is the immunizations themselves that parents shy away But often, Leavitt said, Warents simply have a hard time remembering to complete their children’ S immunization series. “The biggest challenge is Snot to start, but to finish,” Leavitt said. from. Even though it is state law that every child entering kindergarten be. fully immunized, many Utah residents take advantage of exemptions for medAccording to the state Department ical, personal or religious reasons. of Health, children need 80 percent of © Opponents of immunization have ~ their immunizations in the first two long believed that having children vaccinated against childhood illness like -diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella can be years of life to protect them against disease, disability and even death. _ The state’s immunization computer system currently is used by 39 of dangerous to their health. Utah’s 50 county health departments Medical experts have strongly dis- puted those claims. and about 33 private physicians and : clinics. Utah Gets Good Grades For Safe Playgrounds the Center Prevention. oe and Utah got a grade B+ overall in the 50-state survey, with high marks in the area of supervision. Each year, more than 200, 000. children are injured on the nation’s school and public playgrounds. And about 15 young people die each year... ' One of the best ways to prevent those injuries is adult supervision, - according to the study. While Utah was given an A in that grounds could be improved by making tor with the state Health Department, separate play areas for kids ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. But the state received top grades for having playgrounds that are easily viewed and covering concrete footings on the equipment. Injuries at schools, parks, homes or day-care centers are so common that one occurs every hour in Utah, according to a_ state Health said such notices are essential fo pre venting injuries. ~ | “One of the things that helps a lot of schools is established playground rules,” Cazier said. “Signs that say you can do ‘this’ and ‘this’ but not ‘that... Then, when supervisors or | parents are out there, they recognize those things and enforce the | rules.” . The natoret study onan at supervision, age-appropriate design, surfac: ing, equipment maintenance and playground equipment profiles. The Suey found that Utah’s playarea, the state got an F for not posting sure surfaces are soft enough for the height of the equipment and by having Department report. Most of those injuries _ usually fractures — result from falls on hard surfaces, Cazier said. The safety1 issue is drawing ca. 1ACADEMIC tion in Washington, D.C., where the Consumer Product Safety Commission has set voluntary playground guidelines.. Only half a dozen states have adopted those rules, and : them. — = | ‘ Utah is not one of “They are ood guidelines” a Donna Thompson, director of the National Program for Playground Safety, a nonprofit group based at the University of Northern lowa i in Cedar Falls. “One of the reasons (sEies) don’t like them is they have to update equipment and surfacing,” she said. “States need to take responsibility to make play areas safe for children.” een ee ey m LANE JOHNSON © MUSIC “Including | Lane is the son of Cliffie and the late Clint Johnson. He plays bass trombone in the the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News - and the Wasatch Wave. WHS Jazz Band, tuba in the "REACH YOUR AUDIENCE. Wind Ensemble, and sousaphone in the Pep Band. He “plays the vocal cords” in Wasatch Madrigals, utc High — School’s top Choir. He also plays around on the guitar, harmonica, jews harp, and kazoo. inc ery in the All State Choir last fall and — will be performing with the All State Jazz Band this - spring. Lane plans to attend college majoring in Music . Education. WASATCH COUNTY | | Sponsored Wasatch County ’s Source for News 210 East Main Street Midway, UT (435) 654-2661 by BIN GGELI ROCK -PRODUCTS > Supporting a strong foundation (of education in Wasatch County! 654-2611 654-2233 Charleston, Utah ~ _ for Disease ; signs that identify age-appropriate equipment or rules of play. Cal Cazier, an education coordina- Tr SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s playgrounds were rated among the top 10 in the nation for safety, according to a study by the National Program for Playground Safety and _ , —— |
