MASON CITY – With the 2012-2013 school year just around the corner, immunization officials with the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health encourage all parents and caregivers to review their child’s immunization records to make sure they are up-to-date.
Immunizations are a vital invention that has saved millions of lives over the years and prevented hundreds of millions of cases of disease. Getting your children immunized not only saves their lives, but it also protects their friends and classmates who may not be able to receive immunizations for medical reasons. For these children, their vaccinated classmates are their only protection against life-threatening illnesses and diseases.
Immunizations have protected future generations from life threatening diseases. If we stopped providing vaccines, diseases under control would eventually become epidemics again. This health concern has occurred in several countries.
“Parents often get preoccupied with back-to-school shopping and forget one of the most vital tools their child needs to ensure a healthy and successful school year,” said Karen Crimmings, Disease Prevention and Investigation Service Manager, Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “This tool is immunizations. When students have all their back-to-school immunizations and boosters, they are able to excel in school and remain healthy from illness and disease throughout the school year.”
Students need the following immunizations:
Kindergarten:
- Varicella (chicken pox)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, Pertussis)
- IPV (polio)
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Flu vaccine – recommended, but not required.
Middle school:
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, Pertussis)
- Meningococcal (meningitis)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) – recommended, but not required.
- Flu vaccine – recommended, but not required.
College:
- Meningococcal (meningitis)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) should it state recommended, but not required here?
- Flu vaccine – recommended, but not required.
It is now recommended that adolescents receive the Meningococcal Meningitis vaccine around 11-12 years, with an additional booster dose at age 16.
The health department offers two immunization programs that provide vaccines free of charge or at a reduced cost: the Vaccine for Children (VFC) Program and Vaccine Patient Assistant Program (PAP).
The Immunization Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM – Noon and 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM. The clinic also has late hours every first Monday of each month until 6:30 PM.
For a complete listing of recommended and required immunizations or to see if you qualify for one of our vaccine assistance programs, please call (641) 421-9321 or visit our web site at www.cghealth.com.
