The DeKalb County Board of Health urges parents to begin early to get children ready for the new school year. Health centers and doctors' offices will be very busy just before school starts on August 12. To avoid long lines, parents can bring their children in now for shots and screenings.

This year, the Board of Health is partnering with Safe Communities of DeKalb to get children immunized early and to increase safety seat use. The parents of a child that weighs between 40 and 80 pounds who receives back-to-school services at the Board of Health between July 8 and 26 will receive a voucher for a free automobile booster seat, while supplies last.

Georgia law requires vaccinations to enroll children in day care or school. A child entering a day care center or a DeKalb County, City of Atlanta, City of Decatur or private school for the first time must have a Georgia immunization form 3231 completed by a health center or doctor. They must also have documentation of vision, hearing and dental screenings on Georgia form 3300.

Immunizations required for entering day care or school for the first time include vaccines to prevent diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and varicella (chickenpox).

Children enrolling in day care must also be vaccinated against H. influenza B and are advised to have pneumonia vaccine.

Students entering the sixth grade must have a varicella vaccination or have had the disease. In addition, a second dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is also required for rising sixth graders. These immunizations must be documented on an existing form 3231 or on Georgia supplemental vaccine certification form 3189.

Students should bring their immunization record to the health center or doctor.

In addition to these health-related requirements, students must present their certified birth certificate when registering for day care or school. Birth certificates of children born in DeKalb County are available from the Board of Health's Office of Vital Records, Room 191, 445 Winn Way, Decatur, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., phone: 404-294-3783. A child's parent or grandparent may obtain the certificate; a Georgia driver's license or state identification card is required.

The Board of Health's fees are:
• school immunizations, $8 to $10 each;
• completion of form 3231, $5;
• vision screening, $10;
• hearing screening, $10;
• dental screening, $5;
• and certified birth certificate, $10

Payment for health services may be made by cash, check on a Georgia bank or major credit card. Payment for birth certificates must be by cash only. Medicaid covers vision and hearing screenings and immunizations with authorization from the patient's primary care provider.

The Board of Health's center locations, hours and phone numbers for back to school services are:

• Central DeKalb Health Center, 440 Winn Way, Decatur, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., (404) 508-7880
• East DeKalb Health Center, 2277 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road, Lithonia, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; (770) 484-2600
• Kirkwood Health Center, 30 Warren Street, Atlanta, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., (404) 370-7360
• North DeKalb Health Center, 3807 Clairmont Road, Chamblee, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., (770) 454-1144
• South DeKalb Health Center, 3110 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., (404) 244-2200

Services are also available for non-English speakers in Room 150, Richardson Health Center, 445 Winn Way, Decatur, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Interpreters are available for Arabic, Bosnian, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Urdu, Vietnamese and Yoruba. Call (404) 294-3818 for more information.

The DeKalb County Board of Health's main number is (404) 294-3700.

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