Immunizations and back-to-school check-ups can protect your child from common childhood illnesses, detect learning impediments, and support scholastic success
With the midpoint of summer vacation behind us and back-to-school shopping underway, it’s a good time to do a quick assessment of your child’s health.
“Staying on top of your child’s health now can help them succeed throughout the school year,” said Randy Bergen, MD, chief of outpatient pediatrics and pediatric infectious disease expert at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center. “Proper immunization is an easy way to protect your children from common childhood diseases and other contagious illnesses.”
Most school-aged children receive several vaccinations at ages 4 or 5, just before entering kindergarten. Typically, the next set of vaccinations occurs when they are 11 or 12 years old. Check with the office of your child’s pediatrician to make sure their immunizations are up to date. Kaiser Permanente members can check their child's immunization record themselves via their home computers or smart phone by using the free My Health Manager online tools.
One vaccine that all incoming seventh-graders must have is the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) booster shot. A new state law requires all students entering seventh grade show proof that they’ve received the booster before starting school. Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a highly-contagious bacterial disease that can be dangerous for young children and deadly for infants. Immunization of school-aged children and adults is essential to prevent the spread of the disease.
Health officials already are predicting that the nation is on track to have the worst year for whooping cough in more than five decades, so now is the time to make sure your child is protected.
Flu also is highly contagious and leads to chronic absences throughout the school year. A flu vaccine can provide some of the best protection for children and help minimize outbreaks at school sites. Most flu vaccines are available staring in October.
A routine physical is another preventive step to take before children return to school – and is generally required for those students who plan to play a sport. A physical can help detect any hearing or vision impairments and can detect any type of behavioral or developmental issue that may prevent a child from doing well in school.
“By doing your part to help your children stay healthy now, you are helping ensure that their school year gets off to a great start,” Bergen said.
For more information on how to keep your child healthy and active, visit www.kp.org
