LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Back-to-school means back to the doctor. With Missouri schools starting next week, parents are running out of time to get their children’s immunization records up-to-date.
KSHB talked with Jackson County Public Health which said eighth and 12th graders are the main age groups needing vaccines before school. Eighth graders need TDAP and MCV4, seniors need just MCV4.
“I’ve already had an eighth grader so I knew that it was coming up. Then we also received a notification and email notifications about vaccines before the start of the school year,” said mom Kourtney King.
If you don’t know if your child is up-to-date on immunizations, Jackson County recommends calling your primary care physician or public health to check. If records can’t be found, they recommend still coming in to get vaccinated.
“The purpose is really to protect all students while they're going to school. So vaccines help prevent against a lot of diseases that can cause permanent disability, even death. These are really really serious diseases,” said Amanda Fontaine, Jackson Co. Health Services Manager.
Fontaine also recommends HPV and COVID-19 boosters, but those are not required by the state.
Jackson County Public Health is having a back-to-school immunization clinicto get kids vaccinated before the school’s deadline.
You can find more information about Missouri’s requirementshere.
