August is well known as the “back-to-school” month in Georgia, but did you know that August is also National Immunization Awareness Month?
As we’re preparing our children for the new school year to begin this August, we want to take a moment to discuss National Immunization Awareness Month. We love that this awareness month falls right in line with the start of school in Georgia, and we think this is the perfect opportunity to review important vaccines that most children need to attend school in the fall.
Common Vaccines That Georgia Schools Recommend or Require
The Georgia Department of Public Health provides excellent information on the vaccines that children need to attend school in Georgia. It’s important to recognize that some of these vaccines are required and others are recommended. In particular, the biggest takeaway that parents should know from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s standards is that children younger than 7 years old need six vaccines to attend school and an additional two vaccines if children attend pre-k or child care. Some of these vaccines include but are not limited to Hepatitis A and B, Polio, MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella), and more.
We want to note that there are exception cases when it comes to children who need these vaccines. Some of our patients have medically fragile conditions that could be exacerbated by certain vaccines, so those children are granted medical exemptions. For children with medically fragile conditions, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider to see if a recommended or required vaccine is appropriate for your child.
Grade-level Specific Vaccines
In Georgia schools, 7th graders and 11th graders have additional immunization requirements.
For children entering the 7th grade or for children new to Georgia schools between 8-12th grade, they must receive one dose of the Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
For children entering or transferring to the 11th grade, they will need proof that they received the meningococcal booster shot (MCV4). The only exception to this requirement is if the student received their first dose on or after their 16th birthday.
Let’s Get Prepared Physically & Mentally for School
In our last blog, we wrote about back-to-school tips for children with medically fragile conditions. We know that as school approaches, many families with medically fragile children will have questions about school medical requirements. During this season of back-to-school and National Immunization Awareness Month, our team at OPS encourages you to take advantage of the resources available to you to learn more about Georgia’s school medical requirements and how they affect your child.
Interested in learning more about how Optimum Pediatrics works with students who are medically fragile? Contact us!
Comments