A Healthy Start to the School Year: Why Childhood Vaccines Matter
- samanthasimmons88
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Samantha Simmons, MS
It's hard to believe that back-to-school season is already here! Before long, students will be walking through the school doors with new backpacks, fresh school supplies, and excitement for a new year of learning.
As families prepare for the school year ahead, there's one important item that sometimes gets overlooked: making sure children are up to date on their vaccinations.
Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect children from serious diseases. They help prevent illnesses that can spread quickly in schools, childcare centers, and other places where children learn and play. By staying on schedule with recommended immunizations, parents can help keep their children healthy throughout the school year and beyond.
How Do Vaccines Work?
Our immune systems are designed to protect us from germs that can make us sick. Vaccines help "train" the immune system by introducing it to a weakened or inactive part of a virus or bacteria. This allows the body to build protection without causing the disease itself.
If your child is exposed to that illness in the future, their immune system is better prepared to recognize it and fight it off quickly.
Why Are Childhood Vaccines Important?
Children are naturally curious. They spend their days learning, playing, sharing toys, participating in sports, and spending time with classmates and friends. While these experiences are an important part of growing up, they also increase the risk of germs spreading.
Routine childhood immunizations help protect against diseases such as:
Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox, Polio, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Meningococcal, Pneumococcal and Hib.
Many of these diseases can lead to serious complications, especially in infants and young children. Thanks to vaccines, many once common illnesses are now much less common, but they haven't disappeared. Keeping vaccination rates high helps prevent outbreaks and protects our communities.
Getting Ready for School
The weeks before school start are often filled with appointments, shopping trips, and checking items off the family to-do list. It's also the perfect time to review your child's immunization record.
North Carolina requires certain vaccinations for children attending school and childcare. Students entering kindergarten, 7th grade, and 12th grade may need additional vaccines or documentation before the school year begins.
Checking your child's records early can help avoid last-minute stress and ensure they're ready for the first day of school. If your child has missed a vaccine, don't panic. In many cases, they can safely catch up with the recommended immunization schedule.
Vaccines Protect More Than One Child
When you choose to vaccinate your child, you're doing more than protecting their health, you're helping protect your entire community.
Some people cannot receive certain vaccines because they are too young, have weakened immune systems, are undergoing cancer treatment, or have certain medical conditions that make vaccination unsafe. These individuals rely on those around them to help reduce the spread of disease.
This concept is known as community immunity, or herd immunity. When enough people in a community are vaccinated, it becomes much harder for diseases to spread from person to person. This helps protect those who are most vulnerable, including newborns, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems.
Take measles as an example. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known—if one person has measles, up to 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people who are nearby will become infected. Because it spreads so easily, experts estimate that about 95% of a community needs to be vaccinated against measles to help prevent outbreaks.
Vaccination has dramatically reduced the number of illnesses caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), routine childhood immunizations in the United States are estimated to prevent millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths over the course of children's lifetimes. In addition to protecting health, these vaccines save families and the healthcare system billions of dollars in medical costs.
By keeping your child's vaccinations up to date, you're helping create healthier classrooms, safer neighborhoods, and a stronger, more protected community for everyone.
It's one of the many ways we can all work together to keep our schools and community healthy.
Burke County Public Health Is Here to Help
Whether your child is starting kindergarten, heading to middle school, or preparing for their senior year, Burke County Public Health is here to help families stay on track with recommended immunizations.
Our Immunization Clinic offers routine childhood vaccines based on your child's age, school requirements, and immunization history, including:
· Flu, COVID, DTAP, HPV, Hep A, Hep B, MMR, Meningococcal, Rabies, Polio, Tdap, Tetanus, Twinrix (Hep A and Hep B combined), Varicella, Prevnar, Hib, Meningococcal B, Rotateq, and Pentacel/Vaxelis vaccines
Not sure if your child is up to date? Our team can review your child's immunization record, answer your questions, and help determine which vaccines your child may need before school starts.
Planning Ahead
As summer winds down, now is a great time to schedule any appointments your child may need before the school year begins. Waiting until the last minute can make it harder to find an appointment before classes start, so planning can help make the transition back to school a little smoother.
If your child needs vaccinations or you'd like to review their immunization record, Burke County Public Health is here to help. We look forward to partnering with families to help children stay healthy, protected, and ready for a successful school year.
Here's to a safe, healthy, and exciting school year for all of Burke County's students!
Schedule an appointment by calling 828-764-9150
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