Do not delay your child’s yearly school physical and vaccinations during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic it is important not to miss or delay your child’s yearly school physical and necessary lifesaving recommended vaccinations, per CDC guidelines.

Doctor’s offices are a safe place to visit. All staff, doctors and nurses are following CDC COVID-19 safety protocols. It is important to note that the COVID-19 infection among the doctors, nurses and first responders at the hospital who are treating COVID-19 infected patients is very rare due to these same safety measures (washing hands, wearing a mask and PPE etc).

When you schedule your child or teen for their school or sports physical this summer, their doctor will advise you to give them CDC-recommended vaccinations which will protect them from catching life-threatening illnesses in the future. Along with the standard scheduled vaccinations for school-age children, it is important to continue to vaccinate your child during their teen years.

A child between 10-18 years old should receive:

• 1 Tdap booster vaccine (Tetanus, diphtheroid and whooping cough)
• 2 VZV vaccines (chicken pox)
• 2-3 HPV vaccines (Human papilloma virus) 2 shots for <15 years old, 3 shots for >15 years old. HPV vaccine protects against HPV virus related cancer later in life. For every 16 children who receive the HPV vaccine at recommended age, one person will be saved from getting cancer later in life.
• 4 Meningitis (Meningococcal) vaccines. 2 for serogroup ACWY and 2 for serogroup B before completing high school.

Also, don’t forget to vaccinate your child with the yearly Influenza vaccine. This is especially important this year with COVID-19. I also want to share with parents that vaccinations are safe, they do not cause disease or autism, they save lives. Avoid misinformation from the internet or non-medical sources. Trust your doctor’s recommendations or consult the CDC guidelines for vaccine recommendations.