Get Ready for Back to School by Getting Vaccinated

By: Erika Thompson, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, UNTHSC

The long days of summer have us enjoying time off of school, camps, and vacations. But the school year is right around the corner. August will be spent stocking up on school supplies, but there is an essential step you can do now to get prepared – vaccinations.

The state of Texas, like many states in the US, require students to get certain vaccines to go to school. If it’s your first time to Texas or your kiddo is starting kindergarten, there are several types of vaccines that are needed. And, to start 7th grade there are at least two required vaccines for your tween. This means that kids need to have all required vaccines before starting school.

Vaccines are safe and effective prevention tools that keep our families healthy. This is a small step that will protect your child from diseases that devastated communities in the past. So get prepared now by visiting your local clinic or healthcare provider to get your student up to date on vaccinations. This will ensure a smooth transition into the school year, and lets you cross off on thing on your to-do list!

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