Back-to-school season is here. It is time for parents to gather school supplies and backpacks. It is also the perfect time to make sure your children are up-to-date on their vaccines.
Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC is one of the most important things parents can do to help protect their children's health-and that of their classmates and their community. Most schools require children to be current on vaccinations before enrolling to protect the health of all students.
Today's childhood vaccines protect against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough, and chickenpox.
"Thanks to vaccines, most of these diseases have become rare in the United States," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC. "But many still exist here, and they can make children very sick, leading to many days of missed school, missed work for parents, and even hospitalization and death."
Since 2010, we see between 10,000 and 50,000 cases of whooping cough and up to 20 babies die each year in the United States. Most whooping cough deaths are among babies who are too young to be protected by their own vaccination. "Without vaccines, these numbers would be much, much higher," Dr. Messonnier said. "That is why kids still need vaccines."
When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of disease and can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community-including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.
School age children need vaccines. For example, children, prior to entry to Kindergarten, are due for boosters of four vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, also called whooping cough), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and polio. Older children, prior to entry to 6thgrade, need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis).
Your pediatrician may also talk to you about vaccinating your older children/teens against HPV (human papillomavirus), and MenACWY (meningococcal conjugate virus) vaccines. These 2 immunization vaccines are not mandatory for school entry K - 8 in Arlington Diocese schools.
In addition, yearly flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older.
Check with your child's doctor to find out what vaccines they need this year.
