Back to School: Which Vaccines Students Need

Submitted by WHIZ intern Maddie Luebkert

Zanesville, OH- With the school year coming up, it’s time for parents to make sure their students are caught up on vaccinations.

Vaccinating students before as school gets back in session can keep students healthy, and prevent serious illness. Primary Care Physician Caroline Weingart recommends that parents speak with their primary care provider about what vaccines they recommend their children receive.

“So it’s important for children to visit their doctor and discuss any sort of preventative care such as vaccines they may need before they go back to school because it’s the best way for them to stay healthy and ready to learn and participate in sports or any other extracurriculars they might have,” Weingart said.

Weingart strongly recommends that concerned parents talk with their doctors when their children are due for vaccines, to allow the experts to answer any questions the parents may have. While children receive most of their vaccines before the age of two, Weingart recommends that children receive these two back to school vaccines.

“When it comes to school, there’s two back to school vaccines, or generally two that they need,” Weingart said. “And, one of them is the measles vaccine so it’s good to talk to their doctor about that. But the flu vaccine is also something that parents should talk to their physicians about.” Measles and Influenza or the flu can both be prevented with vaccines. When students receive them before going to school, they can protect against a classroom outbreak. For more information about vaccines, visit the CDC website.