With the community gearing up for back-to-school season, don’t forget about the role vaccinations play in the overall health and wellness of children and teens.
Vaccines provide protection against diseases such as meningitis, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and others that are still seen in North Carolina. Give students the boost that they need so that they can focus on learning and growing in school this year.
Parents and guardians have 30 days from the first day of school to turn in their up-to-date immunization records for kindergarten, seventh grade, and 12th grade, and students new to North Carolina schools. With the increase in Covid-19 metrics in recent weeks, coupled with seasonal viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, it is important to take precautions by assessing your children’s personal risks and getting updated vaccines against Covid-19 and flu.
Dr. Ellis Matheson, Buncombe County Public Health Director, urges parents to get ahead of the immunization record due date to avoid long wait times in clinics and to keep children safe and learning in school. “Don’t let the required immunization date sneak up on you,” she says. “Sometimes caregivers forget that children can be excluded from school if they do not provide proof of required vaccines for North Carolina by the due date.”
The latest data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, as part of its Annual Immunization Reporting, included the immunization status of kindergarten, seventh, and 12th-grade students in public and private schools from 2022-23. This report showed that overall, the religious exemption rate in Buncombe County increased for all three grades for the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22.
“Vaccines are one of the most effective means available for preventing the spread of disease,” says Dr. Susan Kansagra,…
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