AUGUST IS NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION MONTH

Where does the time go? Another school year is almost upon us and while your attention may be on making sure your child has their back-to-school supplies they need to start their new adventure, it’s also important to make sure they are up to date on all of their immunizations.

One way to have awareness of what vaccine your child may need is to schedule annual visits with their pediatrician. Medical records at the provider’s office will help keep you on track with what vaccine your child needs during that visit. The CDC provides a vaccine schedule for children from birth to 6 years, which can be found here. A schedule for children ages 7 to 18 years old can be found here.

A complete immunization schedule for children age 18 and under can be found here.

Unsure of why your child needs a certain vaccine or what exactly the disease is that the vaccine is helping to prevent? A complete chart of vaccine preventable diseases and the vaccines that prevent them can be found here. Examples include the DTaP vaccine, which protects against tetanus, and the Varicella vaccine, which protects against chickenpox.

Did you know that immunity from vaccines received during childhood can wear off over time? While we can tend to focus on our children’s health and put them first, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself as well and stay up to date with your immunizations. As an adult, you may need different vaccines based on your age, health conditions, job, or travel habits.

One important immunization that adults aged 50 and older should receive is the shingles vaccine. Shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus in the body that can cause a painful rash with blisters. The risk of shingles in adults who have had chickenpox increases as you get older and about 1 in 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime.

Learn more about the recommended vaccines you should receive as an adult here. The CDC also provides a Vaccine Administration Record to help you keep track of the vaccines you need and have received.

More information from the CDC about immunizations and schedules can be found here.