The back-to-school season often fills up with important appointments, activities, and last-minute adventures. But before your child heads back to class, it’s also important to check in with their doctor. Over the past few years, many families have put off routine checkups for their kids, which means they may be falling behind on their immunizations.
Routine vaccination against illnesses like measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox (caused by the varicella-zoster virus) are an important part of your child’s overall well-being. These vaccines not only prevent the spread of potentially dangerous infectious diseases, they also strengthen your child’s immune response to help fight off illness that could be serious enough for hospitalization or even lead to death.
“Staying updated on these childhood immunizations is critical to your child’s health and the health of our community,” says SSM Health pediatrician Dr. Dan Beardmore. “For instance, many people think of chicken pox as a mild illness, but that’s not true. Some people get very, very sick from chicken pox.”
Families who don’t know if their child is up-to-date on childhood immunizations can check their state immunization records or simply reach out to their child’s doctor to see what they may need to receive to be fully immunized by the start of the school year.
Specific schedule developed by doctors
When it comes to the recommended timing of vaccines, there is a standard schedule in the U.S. for families to follow.
Each recommended vaccine is carefully reviewed by hundreds of doctors before it is approved for use. From there, doctors and other medical experts weigh the safety of the vaccine and the risk of the illness to determine its inclusion in the schedule, as well as the timing of when children should receive the vaccine.
“Vaccine schedules are designed to protect your child based on how their immune system responds to a vaccine at various ages and how likely your child is to be exposed to different illnesses as they grow,” says Dr. Beardmore. “For instance, infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to pertussis, or whooping cough, so they receive immunization against the virus early in life, with regular booster doses as they age. For other illnesses like meningitis, vaccination doesn’t happen until adolescence when your child would be more likely to be exposed to the virus.”
Parents and caregivers who have questions or concerns about the vaccine schedule or specific vaccines should talk with their child’s doctor.
If your child needs to catch up on his or her immunizations or needs an annual exam, schedule an appointment with an SSM Health pediatrician today.
