COMMUNITY WRAP

SUMMER SHOT CLINICS

Time to get students immunized for school

New regulations widen the range of students who need immunizations for the 2008-09 academic year, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

The Nevada State Board of Health enacted new immunization regulations that require children entering seventh grade to be immunized against Bordetella pertussis. The health district provides the Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) vaccine to meet this requirement.

College freshmen younger than 24 years old who will live in on-campus housing at a Nevada college or university are required to get the Neisseria meningiditis (Meningococcus) vaccine.

In addition to the new immunization regulations, the Clark County School District requires the following vaccinations for students enrolling in public or private schools: chickenpox (varicella); hepatitis A; hepatitis B; polio; tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap); and measles, mumps, rubella (MMR).

Parents who have recently moved to Nevada should note that the chickenpox and hepatitis A vaccinations are not required in all states, so immunizations that were up-to-date in other states might not be current in Nevada.

The health district also suggests a second dose of the chickenpox vaccine for school-age children as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Parents must bring immunization records to the clinics, and children with no records will have to begin the immunization sequence from the beginning.

Noncustodial adults may accompany a child; however, written consent must be provided to the health district from the parent or guardian at the time of service.

An administrative fee of $16 per patient for one immunization or $25 per patient for two or more immunizations will be collected. Some vaccines might require an additional fee.

Immunizations are available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at all of the county's public health centers except the Spring Valley center, where appointments are required by calling 759-0701.

The health district's facilities include Ravenholt Public Health Center, 625 Shadow Lane; East Las Vegas Public Health Center, 560 N. Nellis Blvd., Suite E12; Henderson Public Health Center, 520 E. Lake Mead Parkway; North Las Vegas Public Health Center, 1820 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite F; and Spring Valley Public Health Center, 6330 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 3.

The Southern Nevada Health District will offer extended hours for back-to-school immunizations between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at its Shadow Lane location Aug. 18-22 and Aug. 25-29.

The Shadow Lane center also will offer Saturday back-to-school immunizations clinics: Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Aug. 9, 16, 23 and Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

No other health district services will be offered after 4:30 p.m. or during Saturday clinics.

The health district also will offer immunization clinics at several valley malls: Aug. 9, Meadows mall, 4300 Meadows Lane; Aug. 16, Boulevard Mall, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway; and Aug. 23, Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road, Henderson. All clinics in the malls will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For further details, contact the Southern Nevada Health District's immunization office at 759-0850.

CLASSES AND PERFORMANCE

Camp open to jazz enthusiasts of all ages

The 11th annual Jazz Combo Camp sponsored by the College of Southern Nevada is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all ages. The camp will run July 20-25 at the college's Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas.

The registration fee is $150, which includes tuition, daily lunch and admission to all workshops and performances.

In addition to improv, theory and combo sessions, master classes will be taught by College of Southern Nevada music faculty Chris Davis, bass; Bob Bonora, drums; Gary Queen, guitar; Tom Ferguson, piano; Dick McGee, trombone; Walt Blanton, trumpet; Matt Taylor, sax-flute; and Mark Wherry, voice.

The camp concludes with choir and combo performances at 1 p.m. July 25 in the June Whitley Student Lounge. The grand finale is free and open to the public.

To register for the camp, contact Carolyn Barela at 651-4110.

This year's event also marks the retirement of the camp's founder and longtime instructor, Tom Ferguson, who has been with the college since 1988. Ferguson has served the school as coordinator of music, Performing Arts Department chairman and, most recently, director of jazz studies.