TUSTIN : Tuberculosis Testing Kept Clinics Busy

New regulations on testing for tuberculosis bacteria helped make back-to-school immunization clinics busier than usual at Tustin Unified School District.

Free clinics for school-age children and preschoolers were held Monday and last Wednesday, the day before classes started.

“We’ve never been so crowded,” said Margo Stone, nurse coordinator for the school district. All first-grade students and any students new to Orange County schools were required to show proof of receiving a tuberculosis skin test within the last 18 months.

The new regulations, she said, have “really increased attendance at our clinics.”

There are about 13,000 students enrolled in the Tustin district, which serves preschoolers through high school seniors.

Besides offering tuberculosis testing, the district immunizes children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, measles, mumps and rubella.

From October through June, the school district will offer free immunization clinics to Tustin area residents of all ages. This expanded program will be held in conjunction with the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The clinics will generally be conducted from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at Guin Foss School, a district resource center at 18492 Vanderlip Ave.

For more information on the clinics, call the district at (714) 730-7322.