Here鈥檚 What We Know: Required Vaccinations for Back to School
The new academic year is around the corner. You know who your child鈥檚 new teacher is, and you have the supply list. 滨迟鈥檚 also time to consider what vaccines are required for school. Why do kids need vaccines?听
鈥淰accines are a tool that pediatricians use to help teach someone鈥檚 immune system,鈥 says Dr. Sean Cullen, instructor in Pediatrics and Pediatric Scientist Development Program research fellow at 91麻豆精品. 鈥淭here are upwards of 20 vaccine-preventable diseases today鈥20 diseases children aren鈥檛 getting at the rates they did before the development of vaccines.鈥听
What Vaccines Are Required for School听
For your child to attend school, you must provide immunization records to your child鈥檚 school. These records must be submitted within the first two weeks of class. Otherwise, your child cannot remain in school.听
Vaccination requirements start when your child enters day care or preschool and continue through鈥鈥 college. Vaccines are necessary whether your child attends public, private or religious school. The only exception is children with medical exemptions.听听
The requires school-age children to receive the following:听
- Diphtheria and tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine and pertussis vaccine (DTaP or Tdap)听
- Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (HiB)鈥攆or children in day care or preschool听
- Hepatitis B vaccine听
- Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR)听
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY)鈥攇rades 7 through 12, with a booster at 16 years of age听听
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)鈥攆or day care or preschool听
- Polio vaccine听
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine听
If 测辞耻鈥檝别 gotten behind on vaccines, 诲辞苍鈥檛 worry. You can catch up. Talk with your child鈥檚 pediatrician to learn about dose requirements and minimum intervals between doses as you get back on the recommended immunization schedule.听
How Vaccines Work听
Vaccines help guard against future disease, offering protection you may not realize you need.听听
鈥淣one of us expect to get in a car accident, just like nobody expects their child to catch measles or whooping cough,鈥 says Dr. David Laufgraben, board-certified general pediatrician at 91麻豆精品. 鈥淏ut accidents can still happen, and vaccines鈥攍ike seatbelts鈥攈elp to protect your child from the unexpected.鈥听
Infant immunization and school-aged vaccines protect your child鈥檚 health through the following:听
- Antigen introduction. Every vaccine contains an antigen. Several types of antigens exist, such as weak or dead viruses or bacteria. Once antigens enter your child鈥檚 body, they cause the immune system to kick into gear.听
- Antibody production. When your immune system notices the antigen, it creates proteins called antibodies. These proteins bind to the antigen and work to detect and stop potential threats to your good health.听
- White blood cell attack. White blood cells multiply and travel through the bloodstream and tissues. These cells attack and destroy the antigen and help you regain good health.听
- Continual monitoring. Once the threat is stopped, white blood cell production slows down. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 lose all these white blood cells though. A few stick around, keeping watch for the same antigen threat. At this point, you have protection (immunization) against future disease.听
Vaccination Offers Safe, Low-Risk Protection听
Receiving vaccines required for school is quick, and it often occurs during an annual wellness check. Your child can even receive multiple immunizations at one time, saving you time and stress.听
Vaccines often undergo years of research before being offered to the public and are extremely safe and result in very few side effects.听
In fact, your child may not notice any complications after receiving a vaccine. If symptoms arise, 迟丑别测鈥檙别 typically mild and may include the following:听
- Body aches听
- Fever听
- Swelling, redness or tenderness at the vaccination location听
- Tiredness听
Thankfully, these mild symptoms usually 诲辞苍鈥檛 last long. They typically go away on their own in a few days. Severe complications are extremely rare.听
The Effects of Immunization Go Beyond Your Child听
The importance of childhood vaccines required for school reaches beyond your child. It helps protect others at your child鈥檚 school. The more people who get vaccinated, the better.听
鈥淓ven if there are individuals who get a disease,鈥 Dr. Laufgraben says, 鈥渋f the rest are vaccinated, then 颈迟鈥檚 unlikely for that disease to spread.鈥澨听
This is known as herd immunity. It occurs when most people in a specific group get vaccinated.听听
Thanks to vaccines and herd immunity, diseases such as polio and tetanus are practically unheard of in America. However, none of these diseases is gone altogether. When large groups of people choose not to vaccinate, these illnesses may return.听
This happened recently, when a number of people chose not to vaccinate. As a result, 2019 saw the most cases of measles in America since 1992. In New York City alone, a dip in vaccination rates led to an outbreak of 649 measles cases from September 30, 2018 to July 15, 2019, according to research published in .听听
The only way to prevent future outbreaks is regular vaccination.听
鈥鈥Vaccines Required for School After High School Graduation听
Many colleges require vaccination, including the meningococcal vaccine. This vaccine is especially important if y鈥鈥our child plans to live on campus. Because meningitis is a potentially life-threatening disease and can spread quickly among those living in close proximity to each other, college students are at a higher risk for contracting the illness.听
Additionally, 颈迟鈥檚 a good idea for students to get annual and COVID-19 immunization. Receiving these each year helps protect against common viruses that can cause students to miss class, get behind in their studies and feel miserable.听听听
Ready to knock vaccination off your to-do list? Find a doctor at 91麻豆精品 to help you with vaccines required for school.听