Head Start staff and parents share the responsibility of maintaining accurate and up-to-date health records relating to a child's health. This responsibility is especially important in the area of immunizations. Head Start staff and parents need to know a child's immunization status upon entry into Head Start, during the school year, and when a child leaves the program. It is very important to know whether a child is under-immunized, since that places a child at a greater risk of contracting a serious disease. It is also important to have accurate records to avoid a child being over-immunized, which wastes limited health care dollars and subjects a child to unnecessary injections. Entry into school can also be delayed, or in some cases prohibited, if information about a child's immunization status is not readily available.
Beginning this year, the Head Start Family Information System (HSFIS) will be available to a limited number of grantees. HSFIS is a computerized information system that collects individual information, such as on immunizations, and generates reports needed to manage the program. Full implementation of HSFIS will take place oven the next two yeans. Below is a copy of the HSFIS immunization status screen based on immunization requirements in effect in 1994. This program will:
- Track immunization based on the ACIP-AAP-AAFP recommended childhood immunizations schedule.
- Reflect the latest changes to the Head Start immunization requirements.
- Maintain immunization status for each child on real time basis.
- Enable health staff to automatically schedule immunization doses for each child.
- Covers five status categories as defined by the CDC: complete, incomplete, current, medical exemption, and religious exemption. There is a separate PIR immunization status category.
- Complete preprogrammed reports available, such as: Child Immunization Status Report, Immunization Chart at Enrollment, and Up-To-Today Immunization Chart.
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