BACK TO SCHOOL: What To Know About Immunization Requirements
Aug 6, 2019, 6:20 AM | Updated: 7:25 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Parents are most likely focused on standard back-to-school stuff this time of the year — pencils, notebook, backpacks and all new clothes.
However, there is another, more important, item to add to the checklist.
Children’s vaccines need to be up-to-date, and schools require each student to have an immunization record.
According to the Utah Department of Health, some students who aren’t adequately immunized could be excluded from school.
Kids heading into kindergarten will need to have proof of the following vaccines:
- DTP / DTAP / DT
- Polio
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Health officials noted students should have two MMR shots before they enter kindergarten.
Other shots that need to be up-to-date include:
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatits A
- Varicella (otherwise known as chicken pox)
Pediatrician Ben Greenfield said these vaccines are critically important.
“I kind of like the comparison of getting into a car,” he said. “We always buck up when we get in a car. We feel safer. We know that’s going to provide us with some benefit.”
“There’s a small risk that you could get an injury from a seat belt in a car accident,” he added. “That can have a negative effect on you, but we’re still going to buckle up because our fears are far greater of what’s going to happen if we don’t buckle up.”
Parents who have concerns about vaccinations can learn the facts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which has evidence-based research on immunizations.
The CDC has an entire section dedicated to vaccination information, where parents can learn about how effective, essential and safe immunizations are, as well as an immunization guide and a schedule for when students should be getting their vaccines.