Back-to-School Immunizations: The First Step is Information

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It’s the same every year: you checked the supply list, you filled the backpack, and you’re ready. Until you spot your son’s ankles peeking out of his back-to-school pants – yes, the ones you bought last week. Or your daughter decides she prefers green, not red apples in her lunch. With SFCHC’s help, there’s one thing you can stay on top of: immunizations.

Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses to help you safely develop immunity to disease. “Every day, children can be exposed to hundreds of viruses and bacteria during normal activities at school, like eating or playing,” says Dr. Anastasia Williams, director of pediatric services at San Fernando Community Health Center. “Vaccines safely trigger a body’s natural immune response, but do not cause the disease.”

Which Vaccines Does My Child Need?

SFCHC is happy to provide any information you need about vaccines. “Parents want to make the best possible decisions for their children, and staying informed is an important first step,” continues Dr. Williams. For instance, you may know that babies typically have strong immune systems and that they get some protection through antibodies from their mothers. But it’s important to also know that babies are more vulnerable to bacteria, germs, and viruses than at any other age. Your child’s pediatrician will provide a vaccination schedule to help you protect them.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) also helps protect children by requiring vaccinations before they start school. Schools, pre-K facilities, and licensed childcare centers chip in by enforcing the requirements, maintaining records, and submitting status reports to the CDPH. Before your child can start at any school, you’ll be required to provide their complete immunization records.

The CDPH requires that children attending transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade must be vaccinated against nine diseases before starting school:

• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Polio
• Hepatitis B
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Varicella (chicken pox)

Students starting seventh grade also need a booster dose of these vaccines:

• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis

Finally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends yearly COVID-19 and flu vaccines for everyone age six months and older. Children with chronic health conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, are at greater risk of developing serious or life-threatening complications from these illnesses. By getting vaccinated every year, you’re protecting your child’s classmates as well as your child and yourself.

Are Vaccines Safe for My Child?

Nine vaccines may seem like a lot for a toddler (though it’s good to know that a few of them are combined into one shot). But many, many precautions are taken to ensure that getting vaccinated is not dangerous. “For more than fifty years, flu vaccines have proven safe and effective for millions of people of all ages, including children,” says Dr. Williams. In fact, since vaccines were invented, the number of people who get seriously ill or die from vaccine-preventable diseases has dramatically decreased. Many infectious diseases, including diphtheria, smallpox, and rubella, have been eliminated entirely.

“Children may experience some common side effects, such as soreness, headache or fever,” explains Dr. Williams. “However, these symptoms are typically mild and only mean the vaccine is working.”

Before a vaccine is recommended for use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ensures it’s safe and effective. The CDC also closely and constantly monitors the safety of all vaccines. The immunization schedule that your child’s provider recommends is also based on independent medical science review. Skipping or delaying these shots increases the risk of children catching serious diseases at younger ages, when they’re more dangerous.

Knowing and maintaining your child’s vaccinations protects them during every stage of their lives, but you don’t have to do it alone. For more information from the CDPH about school immunization requirements and vaccine safety, click here.

“At San Fernando Community Health Center, we are here to help parents keep their children and their families healthy,” Dr. Williams promises. She explains the mission simply and effectively: “Vaccines can save lives.”

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.