[By Richa Sharma, MD, Chief of Pediatrics for St. Peter’s Hospital.]
September is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start making those back to school lists! Some new sneakers, notebooks and folders, maybe a fresh haircut, and – most importantly – up-to-date vaccines.
New York state law requires all students entering school grades kindergarten through 12 to be vaccinated, or to have a valid medical waiver, for the following:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Booster (DTap for Kindergartners, TdaP for Grades 6 through 12)
- Polio (IPV or OPV)
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
- Hepatitis B
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
- Pneumococcal (Prevnar)
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) for Grades 7-12 (students in Grade 12 need an additional booster dose of MenACWY on or after their 16th birthday.)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends:
- Children get the HPV vaccine to protect against the human papillomavirus. The latest data allows children to begin receiving the vaccine as early as age nine, with two doses providing the necessary protection under age 15. Three doses will be necessary if the child begins receiving the vaccine after the age of 15.
- COVID vaccination for all infants, children, and adolescents 6 months of age and older who do not have contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine authorized or approved for use for their age. This includes primary series and/or booster doses as recommended by the CDC.
- Annual influenza vaccination of all children without medical contraindications starting at 6 months of age.
It is important to remember:
- Vaccines are safer and more effective today than ever before. One reason is the naturally occurring additives that help sterilize vaccine fluids.
- While children today are getting more vaccinations than in the past, the overall amount of immunologic agents in these vaccines is smaller. Two shots given to children in 1980 had more immunologic agents than the antigens in the entire childhood vaccination series given today.
- Delaying vaccinations — or spreading them out over time — increases the risk of exposing your child to a serious and possibly life-altering illness.
- Vaccines don’t weaken the immune system; they boost it.
Parents should discuss vaccine updates with their child’s pediatrician at every annual well child visit, as the recommendations from the AAP change annually. More information about the need to keep children on schedule for routine vaccinations is at www.aap.org/immunization.
St. Peter’s Pediatrics on the St. Peter’s Medical Campus, 1 Tallow Wood Drive in Clifton Park, offers a complete range of services for children from newborns to age 18. Services include well-child routine care, sick child exams, school and camp physicals, sports physicals, immunizations, health maintenance and education. Call 518-688-0295 for an appointment, or visit us at https://www.sphp.com/location/st-peters-pediatrics-clifton-park.
