Monday, Aug. 12 is a big day for students in Rutherford, Polk, Jackson and Henderson Counties – the first day of school.
With that comes new classmates, teachers and assignments. However, there is one thing that students and their families do not have to worry about as long as they are proactive.
Many of these vaccines are already required by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Schools provide grace periods for their students to be up to date on necessary shots like measles, mumps, polio, and hepatitis B. The full list can be seen here.
We hear about sick kids during back-to-school time all of the time,” Smith said. “When we get back into school, we’re going to hit that fall wave of flu season. Generally, it’s just a bigger time for respiratory bacterial infections. Always go to your pediatrician first. That way, we make sure that we’re on track for our scheduled vaccines. Then, they’ll promote seasonal vaccines as well.
Pediatricians like Dr. Sophie Austin of Pardee Urgent Care said there is a reason there is a recommendation for more shots. When kids go back to class, certain infections are more common.
What most pediatricians still recommend is flu and Covid,” Austin said. “Being in a classroom with 30 kids is high exposure. A lot of the outbreaks have been typical viral illnesses like stomach bugs or the cold.
While the essential vaccines need to be complete early in the school year, keeping an eye out for Covid and flu after August will help heading into late 2024.
“August, September – it’s more about those common colds,” Austin said. “Usually, the flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), Covid – those are typically a few months after school starts around October and November.”
The Henderson County Health Department is holding vaccine clinics. For more information on it, click here.
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSMedical experts emphasize vaccination importance ahead of new school year (wlos.com)
