Along with purchasing new school clothes and books and supplies, as well as taking that last minute family weekend trip — don’t forget to make sure your child is healthy and updated on the immunizations your child might need to return to school.

    There are certain guidelines and time lines for getting the necessary immunizations for your child and if they are not up to date, your student might not be allowed into school, warned Jane Sheldon, immunizations coordinator for the Lewis County Department of Health.

    Parent-reported immunization records are not acceptable.

    “If you don’t have a note from your doctor or if it is not in your child’s record, you can’t go to school,” Sheldon said.

    Many immunizations are needed before kindergarten and then not again for a number of years.

    “Many of the required vaccines you have to have with basically all of your shots in kindergarten,” Sheldon said. “But once you’ve had them, you’ve had them, until sixth grade.”

    Different states, however, have different requirements. If a student has moved to Washington state from another state, he or she might not have all necessary immunizations.

    Immunizations are rigorously tested before they are put on the market and are necessary to protect the majority of people, Sheldon explained. Any adverse reactions are reported to the Department of Health.

    “There is a thing called “herd immunity,” Sheldon said. Some children whose immune systems are compromised cannot have certain immunizations. If all children who can have immunizations have them, then there is less risk for the immunity compromised child.

    Whooping cough is one disease that is on the rise, despite the availability of vaccines to prevent the disease.

    “We’ve had a lot of cases even here in Lewis County,” Sheldon said. “We’ve found that immunity wanes over the years.”

    A second immunization to protect is now recommended for all children age 11 and over. If your student will be a sixth- or seventh-grade student this year and has not had this shot, he or she needs to have it.

    “Just check with your medical provider and make sure (your child) is up to date before school,” Sheldon urged. “Nobody wants to get sent home because they didn’t get their shots.”

Immunization Clinic

    • Lewis County’s immunization clinic in Chehalis is open on Tuesdays from 9 a.m to noon, and from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call 740-1223 for more information.

    • The Department of Health Web site provides the recommended immunization schedule on line at: doh.wa.gov  Click on “I” for immunizations. 

Teen Shots

    A new range of teenage shots are available and recommended, but not required.

    Among those shots are the new version of the meningococcal disease that attacks the spinal cord and brain, which is recommended for children from ages 1 to 19.

    Hepatitis A is another recommended immunization. The two-dose series protects against the oral type of Hepatitis A, which people can catch from someone preparing food or from contaminated drinking water.

    “People who eat out a lot or travel to foreign countries are at risk,” said Jane Sheldon, immunizations coordinator for the Lewis County Department of Health.

    A third shot is the HPV vaccine against the human papilloma virus.

    “It prevents cervical cancer and is given to preteens and teenage girls. Right now it is given to girls ages 11 to 26 years, but they are working on extending the license to women ages 26 to in their forties,” Sheldon explained.

Keeping Kids Healthy

    Students of all ages need to eat right and get enough sleep, according to Allison Cook, public relations for the Washington Department of Health.

    “It’s important for parents to make sure kids are getting enough physical activity,” Cook encouraged. “Not too many years ago, most children walked or bicycled to school and played outside in any kind of weather. Today, parents often drive their kids to school or they take the school bus, and many schools offer limited PE classes or none at all.”

    Public health officials offer these tips:

    • Get moving: School-age children should get an hour or more of physical activity each day.

    • Eat healthy: pack more fruits and vegetables in school lunches. Avoid prepackaged foods, candy and soda pop with sugar in it.

    • Head to bed: Make sure students get enough sleep. Kids should get at least eight or nine hours of sleep at night.

Tips for Flu Season

    • Cough carefully: Cover your cough and teach your child to cover their cough.

    • Keep clean: Wash your hands frequently.

    • Stay home: If a child has nausea or vomiting, fever, diarrhea or a bad cough, the child should not go to school.

    • Make a plan: Have a plan in place in case your child is home sick so that a parent is home with them or they have a friend to stay with.

Source: Washington State and Lewis County departments of health

    Victoria Stewart is a freelance writer and photographer. She can be reached at creative01writer@yahoo.com.