Time to schedule school immunizations

PEGGY EVERITT

Staff Nurse

RED WILLOW COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

McCOOK, Nebraska -- July is here and August is fast approaching. It's time to send your children back to school with their vaccinations up to date.

Before you gather school supplies, the Red Willow County Health Department urges you to schedule your children for the vaccinations required for entrance into school this fall.

The following list of immunizations are those required for all students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. If your child is entering college there may be additional required immunizations or laboratory tests. Contact the institution your child will attend for that information.

3 doses of DTaP, DTP, DT, Td or Tdap vaccine, one given on or after the 4th birthday.

3 doses of Polio vaccine

3 doses of pediatric Hepatitis B vaccine

2 doses of MMR or MMRV vaccine, given after 12 mo. of age & separated by at least one mo.

2 doses of Varicella (chicken pox) or MMRV given after 12 months of age. If the child has had the chicken pox disease, they do not need any Varicella shots.

Seventh grade only: Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) is the vaccine required for all seventh graders prior to the beginning of the school year. According to the CDC, pertussis (or whooping cough), is a respiratory infection that can cause severe coughing or trouble breathing. Cases of whooping cough are on the rise and there is currently a nationwide push for people of all ages to receive a booster dose.

Other vaccines available at our office, which are recommended by the CDC, but no required for school enrollment include: Hepatitis A which is recommended for everyone 12 mo. of age and up; Gardasil, (human papillomavirus), which is routinely recommended for girls 9-26 years of age and boys 9-21 years; and Meningococcal (MCV4) which is recommended for adolescents 11-18 years of age.

It is recommended that parents call NOW to schedule appointments for their children's immunizations as our spring and summer clinics fill up quickly. Red Willow County Health Department (located in the Ag Complex at the fairgrounds in McCook), holds immunization clinics on the 2nd Tuesday and Wednesday of each month and most Wednesday afternoons. Additional clinics are available throughout the year as the need arises. To schedule an appointment, or to find out if your child is up-to-date on their vaccines and what shots they might need, please stop by the office at 1400 W. Fifth or call our office at 308-345-1790 or 1-877-250-2057.