August is National Back-to-School Month
We are here to support you in keeping your child’s health a top priority
As we gear up for the exciting time of “Back-to-School” this month, let’s not forget one of the most crucial ways to safeguard our children’s health: immunization. Ensuring that your child is up-to-date with their vaccines is not only a requirement for school entry in many places but, more importantly, it’s a powerful tool to protect them from preventable and potentially serious diseases.
Back to school Immunization check list?
- Review Records: Check your child’s immunization records with your healthcare provider to ensure they are up-to-date with all the recommended vaccines for their age.
- Catch-up Vaccines: If your child has missed any vaccines or needs additional doses to complete a series, schedule a catch-up visit with their healthcare provider.
- Flu Vaccine: Don’t forget to get the annual flu vaccine for your child. Influenza can cause severe illness in children, and getting vaccinated is the best way to protect them during the flu season.
- New School Entry Requirements: If your child is starting a new school or entering kindergarten, make sure you are aware of the specific immunization requirements set by the school or educational institution.
- Healthy Habits: Along with immunizations, encourage your child to practice good hygiene, such as handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and maintaining a healthy diet to support their immune system.
The Importance of Immunization:
Disease Prevention:
Immunizations are designed to prevent various infectious diseases that can spread rapidly among children in close settings like schools. Vaccines have effectively reduced or eliminated diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and whooping cough, preventing outbreaks and protecting our communities.
Maintaining Health and Well-being:
Immunizations contribute to your child’s overall health and well-being. By preventing illnesses, they reduce the number of doctor visits, hospitalizations, and missed school days, allowing your child to focus on learning and growing.
Safe and Effective:
Vaccines undergo extensive testing and continuous monitoring for safety. They are among the safest and most effective tools in modern medicine. Serious side effects are rare, and the benefits of immunization far outweigh the minimal risks.
CDC has online resources and tools to help parents and doctors make sure all kids are up to date on recommended vaccines and protected from serious diseases. Talk to your child’s healthcare professional to make sure they are up to date on necessary vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/…
Sources:
https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/immunization
https://nationaltoday.com/back-to-school-month/