Goodbye summer… Back-to-School season is almost here! Colder weather and being indoors mean more chances for kids to swap germs of all kinds. Along with shopping for back-to- school supplies, now is a good time to check that your child is well protected against preventable infectious diseases.
Current recommendations according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
Preschool
Before your child turns 2, they should be fully vaccinated against:
- Hepatitis B
- Rotavirus
- Hib
- Pneumococcal disease
- Hepatitis A
- Flu (age 6+ months, annual)
- COVID-19 (age 6+ months, annual)
Kindergarten
Before children head to elementary school, they should be fully vaccinated against:
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
- Polio
- Flu (annual)
- COVID-19 (annual)
Middle and High School
Throughout grades 6-12 kids should be vaccinated against:
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis)
- Meningococcal ACWY (age 16)
- Meningococcal B (age 16)
- Flu (annual)
- COVID-19 (annual)
You can get any vaccines your child needs from their doctor or at a pharmacy. The U.S. directory is a good resource for where to get vaccines according to zip code, and info on vaccine health insurance can be found here.
If you can’t find your child’s vaccination records, the CDC recommends that you try to get a copy from your child’s doctor, your state’s immunization registry, or your child’s school.
➡ Is your child anxious about getting vaccines? Here are some tips on how to talk to kids about vaccines and ease their anxiety:
How do I talk to kids about vaccines?
➡ And if you want to learn more about how to talk to a family member who’s hesitant about vaccines, check out this earlier post:
I want to help my friends overcome vaccine hesitancy. How do I give a strong vaccine recommendation?
Let’s give our kids the best chance at a healthy and happy school year!
Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
This post is a collaboration with Data for Health, Those Nerdy Girls, and the Dartmouth International Vaccine Initiative.
