Vaccinations: A Vital Step Before the Start of the New School Year

Summer is winding down and, believe it or not, the kids will soon be heading back to the classroom. While no one wants to think about homework and practice schedules, parents need to begin preparing children to re-enter school with not only the proper supplies, but also with updated vaccinations.

No kid, or anyone for that matter, really enjoys getting vaccinations. However, vaccinations promote not only the health of your child, but also the community at large. Immunizations help keep everyone safe and decrease the risk for preventable diseases significantly. The state of Tennessee requires that every child going into childcare, kindergarten, or even college must be properly vaccinated to attend.

Experts agree that vaccinations should typically be given in three crucial stages in a child’s life. The first is when the child is entering kindergarten, the second when they enter middle school, and the third at the end of high school right before entering college. They explain that each turning point usually means exposure to a new population of students, leaving those that have not been properly vaccinated at risk.

According to the CDC, there are several vaccination precautions that parents can take before each of these crucial stages occur. For children up to age 6 the recommendation is to get children vaccinated, as they need the protection to prevent up to 14 diseases that can be serious and even life threatening. Of course, they also recommend flu vaccines for kids in pre-school and elementary school to keep them healthy. In fact, all children 6 months and older should get the flu vaccine. This is critical because school-aged children are the most susceptible group for the flu.

For children 7 to 18 the CDC has a few recommendations in addition to keeping up with all previous vaccinations and making sure they are up to date. Especially for children 11 to 12, three vaccines are recommended, consisting of the HPV, TDAP, and Menigococal Conjugate Vaccine. HPV is recommended to hopefully ward off certain cancers later in life, TDAP will help protect from whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria. Mengicocal Conjugate helps prevent 2 out of 3 of the most common causes of menigococal disease, which can range from serious to life threatening.

What if your child accidentally missed a scheduled vaccination or you misplaced your child’s vaccination record? In the case of a missed vaccination, your child should be able to make it up during a regularly scheduled doctor’s visit or physical examination. Misplaced vaccination records can possibly be recovered at several places, including your child’s doctor or public health clinic, your state health department, or the child’s school/college. Parents should note that if the immunization record cannot be found the child is considered susceptible to disease and must be revaccinated.

What are the requirements of the State of Tennessee for vaccinations? All of the guidelines and recommended vaccinations for children can be located on the TN.gov website. On the website parents will find the appropriate vaccinations needed for their child throughout the proposed three stages of immunizations. For college students, rules will vary from public to private institutions, but check with the school’s health clinic for the most accurate information.