Are your kids up-to-date on vaccinations?

 

While no one looks forward to getting shots, making sure children are up-to-date on vaccinations is a vital part of the back-to-school ritual. School is a special situation for health care because of the group setting created by the close proximity of teachers and students. For this reason, all states, including Massachusetts, have stat- mandated immunization laws in place for school entry.

 

The two major touch points in public school systems to ensure that children are immunized are entering Kindergarten, 7th grade, or if new to the school system in which case the immunizations needed are the ones dictated by age according to the table found in this link: http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/cdc/immunization/guidelines_ma_school_requirements.pdf

By Kindergarten, students must have proof of the following immunizations: 3 doses of Hep B 5 doses of DTaP/DTP 4 doses of Polio

2 doses of MMR
1 dose of Varicella

By 7th Grade, students must have proof of the following immunizations:

3 doses of Hep B

1 booster dose of Td

3 doses of Polio

2 doses of MMR

1 dose of Varicella if under 13 years of age; 2 doses if over 13 years of age

   

Immunizations

Childhood: http://www.cispimmunize.org/IZSchedule_Childhood.pdf

Teen: http://www.cispimmunize.org/IZSchedule_Adolescent.pdf

Catch-up: http://www.cispimmunize.org/IZSchedule_Catchup.pdf

 

These guidelines are consistent with the CDC recommendations for 2008 Childhood

  Questions & concerns  

The most common concerns relate to the number of immunizations children are given and a possible tie to autism.

 

According to the CDC there are 11 recommended vaccines, and children receive as many as 20 shots by 2.

 

Health officials stress that vaccinations are a drop in the ocean of what babies’ immune systems encounter every day. More controversial is the rise in cases of autism.

 

According to the CDC, studies have found no link between the two, and government studies have disproved the notion that MMR causes autism.

 

Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, founder of PediatricsNow.com and P&K medical advisor contributed to this report.

   

 “No child shall, except as hereinafter provided, be admitted to school except upon presentation of a physician’s certificate that the child has been successfully immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and poliomyelitis and such other communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time by the department of public health.

A child shall be admitted to school upon certification by a physician that he has personally examined such child and that in his opinion the physical condition of the child is such that his health would be endangered by such vaccination or by any of such immunizations. Such certification shall be submitted at the beginning of each school year to the physician in charge of the school health program. If the physician in charge of the school health program does not agree with the opinion of the child’s physician, the matter shall be referred to the department of public health, whose decision will be final.

In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no child whose parent or guardian states in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs shall be required to present said physician’s certificate in order to be admitted to school.”

     

In Massachusetts, immunizations are mandated by State Law Chapter 76, Section 15 as follows:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/76-15.htm

 

Finally, if you are planning on moving to a different State, you can find immunization requirements for other states here: http://www.immunize.org/states