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Corroon Wants $400K to Immunize Infants

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) For $400,000, Salt Lake County could immunize 11,000 infants and children who lack insurance. Mayor Peter Corroon is asking the Salt Lake County Council to fund the program in hopes of improving Utah's dismal immunization record.

Utah ranks 44th in the nation for immunization of young children. Salt Lake Valley Health Department Spokesperson Audrey Stevenson says the cost to fully vaccinate a child is one-thousand dollars - which can be prohibitive for uninsured families.

Standard childhood immunizations include tetanus, chicken pox, hepatitis, measles and whooping cough. That last disease has made a comeback in Utah recently, in part says Stevenson, because of parents not immunizing their children. The Salt Lake County Council will hold hearings on the proposed budget later this month.


Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW

1. Lori Newby said:

I would like to know how many children who have contracted Whooping Cough lately have died. If you can demonstrate that the illness is killing people then I will consider what you are asking. However, if this is more preemptive than necessary, well, I already have a national president who gives me more than enough of that type of administrating.

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