Time to update back-to-school immunizations

Parents should act now to make sure their children are up-to-date on their immunizations before they go back to school, Public Health – Seattle & King County warned.

Washington state children who have not been fully immunized have fallen ill in recent whooping cough and chickenpox outbreaks, they note.

School requirements for this fall

This fall, all students entering kindergarten through twelfth grade will be required to show proof of :

• three doses of hepatitis B vaccine,

• an age-appropriate series of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis-containing vaccines (DTaP, pediatric DT, adult Td, or Tdap) and polio vaccine,

• and two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

For a complete list of the immunization schedule, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/health/immunization

Parents and guardians are advised to check with your clinic or health care provider to get the vaccines your child may need for school this fall and to bring your children’s shot records to all clinics, officials said.

Adults and teens need to make sure they’ve received their recommended immunizations as well, said said Betsy Hubbard, Public Health’s Immunization Supervisor.

“Whether you’re a parent or guardian enrolling your child in school, a student entering college, a health care worker, or an adult who likes to travel, you should be regularly checking to see if your immunization records are up to date,” Hubbard said.

Risks in not vaccinating

Although it is possible to ask for an exemption based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons, going without immunizations increases the risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases, which can be dangerous, health officials warned.

In addition, children who are not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or childcare during an outbreak.

To exempt their child from receiving vaccines required for school entry, parents or legal guardians must complete and sign the separate Certificate of Exemption Status form.

Tags: Chickenpox, Doctors, HPV, Immunization, School, Seattle, Vaccines, Washington, Whooping Cough

Category: Child & Youth Health, Measles, Vaccines