RediClinic Recommends Early Immunizations and Physicals for Back-to-School

While the start of the 2011-2012 school year is still more than a month away, now it a great time for parents to begin thinking about back-to-school preparations. Midsummer is a great time for parents to make appointments for their student(s) to get their necessary vaccinations and physical to avoid long waits as the school year approaches.

The following vaccines usually are required (except with valid exemptions) for elementary, middle and high school students: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps and rubella. While immunizations may not be required for all, immunizing your children is a way to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases at school and protect the well-being of your family at home.

A complete checklist of the 2011-2012 Texas state immunization requirements for students entering kindergarten through high school is printed below and also can be found at www.rediclinic.com/vaccines.

In addition to immunizations, students participating in athletics or other extra-curricular activities may be required to undergo a physical examination before school starts. For some sports and extra-curricular organizations – especially football and gridiron-adjacent activities like drill team, cheerleading and band – practice begins weeks before the first day of school and will require physicals even earlier. A proper school physical should include both a medical history and a physical examination to ensure early detection of any health-related issues. For school-aged children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an annual physical for those entering kindergarten (five and six years of age), then every other year and resuming an annual exam during middle school and teen years.

Since few kids (and parents) want to spend precious summer days sitting around in waiting rooms, RediClinic provides a convenient alternative. Review and administration of immunizations and physical exams, as well as acne consultation, are all provided in RediClinic’s Teen Health package, and are among just a few of the services offered at your nearby Pin Oak and Grand Parkway RediClinic. Wait times are short, the clinics in H-E-B grocery stores are convenient and the prices are affordable.

So don’t get too lethargic during the dog days of summer. Avoid the rush and get your children’s back-to-school vaccinations and physicals early. You can spend the rest of the season enjoying yourself with the knowledge that your kids are healthy and prepared for the school year.

RediClinic, located inside Katy H-E-B grocery stores at 25675 Nelson Way and 6711 S. Fry Road are open seven days a week, and no appointments are necessary. For more information, visit www.rediclinic.com.

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No matter what age and grade level your children are, make sure their vaccines are up-to-date for the school year:

IMMUNIZATIONS	DOSE REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (DTaP/DTP/DT/Td)	For grades K–6: four or five doses are required For students aged 7 years and older: three doses meet the requirement if one dose was received on or after the fourth birthday
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (TdaP)	For 7^th grade: one dose of Tdap is required, if five years have passed since last dose For 8^th–12^th grade: one dose of Tdap is required when 10 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria-containing vaccine; Td is acceptable in place of Tdap if a medical contraindication to pertussis exists
Polio	For grades K–12: three or four doses meet the requirement
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)	For kindergarten and 1^st grade: two doses of MMR are required. For 2^nd–12^th grades: two doses of a measles containing vaccine, and one dose each of rubella and mumps vaccines
Hepatitis B	For grades K–12: three doses are required For students ages 11–15 years: two doses meet the requirement if adult hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax) was received
Varicella (chickenpox vaccine)	For K–2^nd and 7^th–9^th grades: two doses are required For all other grade levels: one dose is required For any students who receives the first dose on or after 13 years of age, two doses are required
Meningococcal (Menactra, bacterial meningitis vaccine)	For 7^th and 8^th grade: one dose is required
Hepatitis A	For kindergarten and 2^nd grade: two doses are required