/ 202 WELLNESS / feeling great
By Katie Snyder
School Supplies, New Clothes and Vaccinations?
I
t’s back-to-school time again. Aside from new clothes and school supplies there is one other thing on every parent’s mind--vaccinations.
tion preventionist at Banner Desert and Cardon Children’s Medical Center. So, what should parents know? According the Arizona Department of Health Services, children in kindergarten through 12th grade are required by law to have proof of specific immunizations, except for medical reasons or personal beliefs. “Between buying back-to-school supplies and new school clothes, health can sometimes be forgotten,” D’Souza says. “Before school begins, make sure your child’s immunization records are up-to-date.”
And, while you probably won’t find chickenpox or hepatitis B vaccines on your child’s back-toschool list, health experts suggest it’s the best thing a parent can do to get their child ready for the school year. “School age children, from preschoolers to college students need vaccines. Making sure children of all ages are vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines protect the health of your child as well as the health of their friends and classmates as well,” saiys Aarikha P D’Souza, BS, MPH, infec-
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202 MAGAZINE / AUGUST 2013 / 202magazine.com ()A????????????????????((0