Beginning this summer, kindergartners must prove that they've had chickenpox or get a shot to ward off the itchy rash before starting school.

Starting July 1, the varicella vaccination, which has been available for about five years, will be added to a list of required immunizations.

Children in child care, and older students who are entering a private or public school in California for the first time, also must prove they are immunized against the common childhood disease.

Families who are on Medi-Cal or do not have health insurance can get low-cost or no-cost immunizations from their county's public health department. Most hold walk-in clinics several days each week.

In Stanislaus County, special immunization clinics are scheduled Saturday and May 19.

"We want to make this easy for the parents, and we need to get the kids ready for school," said Rose Ann Peterson, a supervising public health nurse with the county's Health Services Agency.

Most people get chickenpox in childhood, usually in late winter or spring. The virus is contagious until the blisters scab over. It can spread rapidly among children in the same classroom, but people are typically immune once they have recovered.

The virus occasionally leads to more serious problems, such as pneumonia or septicemia. About 100 Americans die each year from chickenpox, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to the varicella vaccine, children must have five DPT (diptheria, tetanus and pertussis) shots, four polio shots, three hepatitis B shots and two MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shots.

About 7,300 kindergartners are expected to start school next year in Stanislaus County, and 3,800 in Merced, 9,100 in San Joaquin, 510 in Tuolumne, 430 in Calaveras and 140 in Mariposa counties.

Reprinted by permission of Modesto Bee.