The familiar sound of a school bell's ring will soon fill the air when kids head back to school for the year in the next few weeks. Before you send your little ones off to school though, it is important to make sure they are up to date on all of their required vaccines.
Dr. Arwa Nasir with the University of Nebraska Medical Center says if children are heading into kindergarten, the students will need to receive boosters of shots they received as babies. "This booster usually helps make sure that the antibody levels are high enough to protect from infections."
Nasir says two shots are given to those entering school for the first time that include vaccines for a number of diseases and viruses. "One is called Kinrix and it contains the vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio. The other vaccine is called MMRV and it has vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox)."
Along with the back to school shots, Nasir also suggest getting your child the flu vaccine. "Although it is not available now, it usually comes in the fall, late September or early October."
For kids entering middle school, Nasir says there is another booster for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis along with two other vaccines. "One is a vaccine against the meningococcus bacteria that can cause meningitis, or blood stream infection. This is a two shot series, one is at the junior high visit and the other one is usually two years later, usually at high school entrance."
Nasir says during junior high they usually begin the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as well. "Which is again a two shot series that are six months apart. So they get the first one at the junior high visit, and then they come back six months later for the booster dose."
For those entering college, Nasir says all the vaccines your child receives at the middle and high school ages should protect them through their college years.
For more information about what vaccines your child would need, you can visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website here.