The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is encouraging parents to make sure their children are up to date on routine vaccines before they head back to school. “Well child visits and school or sports physicals provide a great opportunity to check with a health care provider to find out what vaccines children may need,” says Kerry Kernen, Assistant Health Director.
Vaccinations help protect against many childhood diseases like chickenpox, flu, measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough. They help keep kids healthy, in school and ready to learn. State law requires children enrolling in kindergarten or first grade and transfer students have proof of receiving three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, three doses of polio vaccine, two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and two doses of chickenpox vaccine.
Youth entering seventh grade and transfer students must have those same vaccinations s well as a Tdap pertussis booster. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends one dose of meningococcal vaccine at age 11 or 12 and two doses of human papillomavirus vaccine, which prevents various cancers. A second dose of meningococcal vaccine is recommended at age 16.
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