State: Use Summer Break to Get Student Shots Up-to-Date

Parents and caregivers are urged to use the summer break to make sure all students’ immunizations are up to date before new regulations take effect in August, the Department of Health said in a release.

To begin the 2011-12 school year, seventh grade students are required to have received:

• 1 dose of Meningococcal vaccine (meningitis)
• 1 dose of Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)

Students in all grades are required to have received a second dose of chickenpox vaccine if they never had the disease.

Noting June is “Adolescent Immunization Awareness Month,” Health Secretary Dr. Eli Avila said vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective tools in preventing disease.

“Vaccines not only prevent disease in people who receive them, but also protect those who come in contact with unvaccinated individuals, including those who are too young or who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons,” Dr. Avila said.

For teens with limited or no health insurance, contact your health care provider to see if they are eligible to participate in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. The program provides free vaccines to eligible children from birth through 18 years of age who meet certain criteria. You can also contact a local health department office for information about how to receive free or low cost vaccines.

For more information about immunizations, visit www.vaccinesforlife.com or call 1-877-PA HEALTH (1-877-724-3258). You can also visit the Immunization Action Coalition at www.immunize.org.