Countywide : Free Screening, Shots Offered for Children

Free immunizations and health screenings are available this weekend for all children at the third annual Kids Care Fair--a health campaign that will include sites in Santa Ana and Buena Park.

All required preschool immunizations such as measles and polio will be offered to children ages 6 and under. Health screenings, including tests for vision, hearing and dental problems, will be available for people 3 through 18 years of age.

Booths will also be set up at the 30 Care Fair sites across the Southland. The booths will offer tips on avoiding childhood accidents that account for nearly half of all youth deaths. Literature and advice will also be available on topics such as lead poisoning, AIDS, early drug awareness and eating disorders.

More than 10,000 children last year visited the fair, which was created to give a health-care option to youngsters with no health insurance. Children Now, a California advocacy group for youth welfare issues and co-sponsor of the fair, cites statistics that show one in four California children have no insurance coverage.

In Orange County, the fair will be at the Corbin Community Center, 2215 W. McFadden Ave. in Santa Ana, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at the Boys and Girls Club of Buena Park, 7758 Knott Ave, on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information on sites, call 1 (800) 870-5437.