As your family prepares for school to open in the fall, your thoughts may turn to getting school supplies, meeting your child’s new teacher, and purchasing school clothes. Verifying your child’s immunizations are up to date may not be on your back to school checklist, but it should be.
Why School Vaccines Need To Be Up To Date
The law requires school vaccines. To attend public school kindergarten, all 50 states and the District of Columbia require vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP); polio(IPV); measles and rubella; and chickenpox (varicella). Some jurisdictions mandate school vaccines for illnesses such as mumps, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, flu, Haemophilus influenza type B, and meningitis.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has created a recommended vaccine schedule because vaccines prevent disease and save lives. Even if the law where you live doesn’t require school vaccines for older children, you should still make sure their vaccines are up to date. The close contact in schools provides a ready environment for the spread of disease. Every year students from kindergarten to college fall ill to disease that could have been prevented by vaccines. Physical suffering and hospitalizations can result. On rare occasions, not being up to date on vaccines has fatal consequences.
Beach Kids Pediatrics Can Help
In the last weeks of summer, getting an appointment for school vaccines with your child’s pediatrician can be a challenge. Many families try to get well visits done before school starts. Also, lots of families realize they need back to school vaccines. This combination can make family care centers busy, making it more difficult to get what you need. By scheduling an appointment early, you can be one step ahead of the immunization game so you won’t have to wait for an opening before your child can get immunizations. If you’re ready for that appointment, visit Beach Kids Pediatrics online to schedule your appointment. We look forward to seeing you!
