EDITORIAL: Parents encouraged to vaccinate children for school, day care

Ada Evening News - 7/26/2018

July 25--Besides buying school supplies, we encourage parents to vaccinate their kids for school and day care before the fall semester begins.

Since students transmit illnesses to each other at times of poor handwashing, schools, colleges and child care facilities are quite susceptible to outbreaks of infectious disease.

Unvaccinated children are at increased risk for disease and can spread it to others in our classrooms and communities.

Fortunately, the Garfield County Health Department can provide all the required vaccinations for school children and those 18-years-old or younger at regular immunization clinics set to occur 8-11 a.m. Mondays through Fridays and 1-4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Vaccinations are by appointment only.

Also, parents of children with either SoonerCare or private health insurance are urged by the Health Department to take their children to their normal health care providers or clinics for the vaccinations.

For children at day care facilities, information on required childhood vaccines for their age can be found online with the 2018-19 Guide to Immunization Requirements in Oklahoma at the state department of health website: https://go.usa.gov/xUBvX.

There are boosters or second doses of four vaccinations due for children going into kindergarten. For children recently moving into the state, they also may have to get a hepatitis A vaccination.

Students in grades seven through 12 are mandated to have one dose of the Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).

The department also recommends children and teenagers of this age get the HPV vaccination, which is supposed to protect against numerous forms of cancer. Those taking it are recommended to start the vaccination series about 11 or 12 years of age.

Another recommended vaccine is MCV4, or the meningococcal vaccine, which "protects against the devastating effects of bacteria that causes meningitis or a life-threatening bloodstream infection."

For more information about immunizations, call Garfield County Health Department at (580) 233-0650 or contact your health care provider.

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