What Vaccines Your Child Needs to Start School
Under California law, children must be fully immunized before starting school.
As the school year starts, public health officials are reminding parents to get their children vaccinated before starting school.
Under California law, children must be vaccinated against a host of diseases, such as polio and chicken pox, before starting school. The requirement differs depending on the age and grade of the child.
August is National Vaccination Month, and public health officials are using that to remind people about the importance of vaccination.
“Vaccines are the most effective tools there are to prevent children from getting sick,” San Diego County public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said. “When children are not vaccinated, not only are they at increased risk for disease, they can also spread illness to others in classrooms, households and communities.”
Currently there is a movement against vaccination based on a debunked study that linked vaccines to a rise in autism in children. The cause gained prominence through high-profile supporters such as former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy, among others.
Starting in June 2016, however, California parents will no longer be able to use personal belief to exempt their children from vaccination.
This past June, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 277 eliminating personal belief exemptions into law -- only allow exemptions for medical reasons.
The bill, inspired by a measles outbreak in California that started at Disneyland in December, triggered heated debate and passionate testimony on both sides.
So which vaccine does your child need in order to start school?
For children who are 4 to 6 years of age, health officials recommend getting shots for DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis -- whooping cough), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and polio
Older children need a booster shot for DTaP. The The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends teenagers get vaccinated against human papilloma virus.
Vaccination is not just for students K-12, students entering college need to get vaccinated as well. The CDC recommends college freshmen get vaccinated against Meningococcal meningitis. Freshmen are seven times more likely to contract Meningococcal meningitis than the general population, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Most county public health departments offer vaccinations for little to no cost for low-income people or people lacking medical insurance.
--Photo courtesy of the California Department of Public Health What Vaccines Your Child Needs to Start School | Rosemont, CA Patch: