2000 Still Need Innoculations

Although University Health Services (UHS) held a well-attended walk-in immunization clinic yesterday, officials estimate that more than 2000 Harvard students still need to be innoculated.

UHS offered the immunization clinic in an attempt to eradicate the immunization backlog on campus. The clinic offered measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria shots.

"We are definitely making headway," said Dr. David S. Rosenthal, director of Health Services.

Rosenthal said that the number of students who actually need to be innoculated may be less than his estimate of 2000 because some students are simply missing the necessary paperwork.

He said that UHS is accepting faxed copies of the records provided that the original reports are eventually sent to UHS.

According to UHS administrators, graduate students made up the bulk of those who attended yesterday's clinic. Officials said many graduate students were responding to a letter sent earlier this week which stated that they would not be able to register next semester if they were not immunized.

Complying With State Order

According to Registrar Georgene B. Herschbach, the University is trying to comply with a state order that all students born after 1956 must be immunized twice against the measles.

The new immunization law is an attempt to stem the increasing number of measles epidemics in the nation, officials said.

"One [immunization] shot wasn't enough," said Herschbach, who said she thought the University is vulnerable to an outbreak of measles.

"We're trying to make sure people comply with the law, and our operative is to protect the students," she said.

Harvard has been given an indefinite extension beyond the September 1 deadline by the U.S. Department of Public Health.

UHS officials said that they will be offering other opportunities for immunization in the upcoming months. The next clinic will be held on October 17, on the first floor of Holyoke Center.

The University will set a deadline for undergraduates to be inoculated after all the clinics have been planned, Herschbach said.

"Once that is known, the dean and the administrative board will decide on the deadlines in conjunction with the state officer," she said.