Many families are getting ready for the new school year. Your back-to-school checklist might include getting school supplies, registering for classes and buying clothes.
Another thing you should add to the list is visiting your pediatrician. The doctor will make sure your child is up to date on immunizations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
Many children didn’t get their shots during the pandemic. One of the best ways to protect your kids from serious, but preventable, diseases is to make they are up to date on vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months and older. Kids can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other shots like flu, measles, polio and hepatitis A and B vaccines.
To find out which shots your child should get, talk to your pediatrician. You also can look at the vaccine schedules for children younger than 6 at https://bit.ly/3ypl3TX and for children ages 7-18 at https://bit.ly/3AanRFS.
A back-to-school checkup is important not only to make sure your child is caught up on immunizations. The pediatrician also may do the following:
- screen for hearing and vision problems,
- check developmental milestones,
- check blood pressure and other vital signs,
- treat infections or injuries,
- discuss health care concerns with teens, such as menstrual care and mental health, and
- do routine lab tests.
Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have questions about vaccines. You also can watch videos from the American Academy of Pediatrics at https://bit.ly/3OLUk9M.