Getting your student up-to-date on vaccines
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Back to school means back to schedules and routines. It's also a good time to schedule that routine check-up for your student.
If you have been keeping up with those appointments, your child most likely has an A-plus for school vaccination requirements.
If not, they're certainly not alone.
Last year, 20.5 million children worldwide missed out on one or more vaccines.
The pandemic put a lot of kids behind, but now, pediatricians say catching up needs to be a priority.
"With people not being able to get to the doctor, with that kind of thing put off, there is some kind of weakness or lapse in the protection. That would be the concern," says Dr. Brian Donnelly of Allegheny Health Network.
In Pennsylvania, by the time they're getting ready to start school, kids should have quite a few vaccines under their belts. Among that list are chickenpox, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines.
There are a few more requirements before they hit seventh grade and their senior year of high school.
"If they are behind on anything, there are catch-up schedules," Dr. Donnelly added.
Right now, getting millions of kids around the world caught up and immunization rates back to pre-pandemic levels is a work in progress.
"There's still work to be done."
If you're not sure if your child is up-to-date, talk to your doctor.
And if you're just now realizing your child is behind, Dr. Donnelly says you should be able to get in for an appointment fairly quickly.