Scotland County Health Department wants to promote a healthy and safe Back-to-School season. Parents are already out gathering school supplies, backpacks, school clothing and new shoes along with their child’s school and sports schedules. It’s also the perfect time to make sure your kids are up to date on their vaccines.
To celebrate the importance of immunizations throughout life — and make sure children are protected with all the vaccines they need — Scotland County Health Department is joining with partners nationwide in recognizing August as National Immunization Awareness Month.
“Ensuring children receive all of the vaccines that are recommended by the CDC (Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention) and following their immunization schedule is by far one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health, their classmates and the community as a whole,” said Clerissa Butler, Public Health and Lead Immunization nurse at Scotland County Health Department. “If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to check with your doctor or local health department to find out what your child requires to become up-to-date, especially since there are new requirements for children turning 17 years old and/or entering 12th grade, whichever comes first, that began Aug. 1, 2020.”
School-age children need vaccines. For example, children who are 4 to 6 years old are due for four vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and polio. Older children, like preteens and teens, need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), Meningococcal (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) and HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines when they are 11 to 12 years old. In addition, children turning 17 years old and/or entering 12th grade are required to receive a Meningococcal Booster (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) and become eligible to begin the Meningococcal-B or Bexsero series. Also, yearly flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older.
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 and whooping cough. When children are not vaccinated, they are at an increased risk of contracting and spreading Vaccine Preventable 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 or other immune-compromising health conditions.
Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/index.html or contact Scotland County Health Department at 910-277-2440 for more information. You can also check out Scotland County Health Department’s Facebook page for additional tips, health information and resources.
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