MASON CITY – Back-to-school season is here. It’s a time for parents to gather school supplies and backpacks. The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health would like to remind all parents and caregivers it’s also the perfect time to make sure your kids are up-to-date on their vaccines. Getting children and adolescents all of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the most important things a parent can do to help protect their child’s health—and that of their classmates and their community. All Iowa schools and licensed childcare centers require children to be current on vaccinations before enrolling to protect the health of all children.
“Thanks to vaccines, most of the vaccine-preventable diseases have become rare in the United States,” says Jeni Stiles, Disease Prevention Specialist, Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “But many still exist here and we see outbreaks of measles, mumps and pertussis (whooping cough), all of those can make children very sick. This then leads to many days of missed school, missed work for parents, and even hospitalization and/or death.”
The CDC states that currently the United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in its history. Their long-standing vaccine safety system ensures that vaccines are as safe as possible.
Students need the following immunizations:
Kindergarten:
- Varicella (chicken pox)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus & pertussis)
- Hepatitis B
- IPV (polio)
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Flu vaccine – yearly.
11 years of age and older (in addition to the required Kindergarten vaccines):
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria & pertussis)- required for all incoming 7th graders.
- Meningococcal disease (ACWY)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Flu vaccine – yearly.
College:
- Meningococcal disease (ACWY and MenB)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Flu vaccine – yearly.
Adolescents should receive a second meningococcal meningitis (ACWY) vaccine after the age of 16. The health department also offers the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine for adolescents and young adults age 16-23, with a preferred age of 16 to 18. Serogroup B makes up 30% of all meningococcal disease in the U.S.
The health department can bill most insurance providers, including Medicaid, with no additional office visit fees. The department is also able to provide vaccines to children who have no health insurance, are under-insured and Alaskan/Native American through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. An administrative fee of $10.00 is preferred per vaccine, but not required for the VFC Program.
The Immunization Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM – Noon and 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM. Please call our immunization clinic to see if your child is current on their vaccinations at 641-421-9321.
For a complete listing of the recommended and required immunizations, please visit our website at www.cghealth.com.
