Back to School Vaccines

As our nation prepares for “Back to School” time, there is one school supply parents and children cannot go without: vaccinations. Taking your child to a doctor’s office isn’t the easiest thing to do, but it could save his or her life. In many states, the law requires a certain number of doses of mandated vaccines before the first day of classes.

The vaccines often required for school entrance include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella. With the first day of class just days away, parents are lining up their children for shots, and some have questions and concerns about the necessity and safety of them.

“Many parents are concerned about their children going to school and possibly catching something from another student who didn’t get their shots,” says Gary Wallach, Director of the National Immunization Information Hotline for the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Vaccinations help prevent diseases that, if left untreated, could be deadly.”

Despite the repercussions of possible mild side effects, such as fever, soreness, rash, and redness, and the long faces that accompany a trip to the doctor’s office for shots, immunizations are important for school-aged children. However, most parents do not know of many of the immunization requirements, or the mild side effects involved, and need information in making decisions that affect their child’s health. The National Immunization Information Hotline (NIIH) is available to provide such information.#

ýhis service is available to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the U.S. Territories, Monday—Friday, 8AM-11PM via toll-free hotlines. Services are offered in English (800.232.2522), Spanish (800.232.0233), and TTY (800.243.7889) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Information can be found at www.vaccines.ashastd.org.

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