The following was submitted by San Juan County Health and Community Services

Preparing for school is full of excitement and the time for new school clothes, school supplies, lunch bags, and back packs. But, it’s also the perfect time to make sure children are up to date on their vaccines.  Getting all of the recommended vaccines is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health.

When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk for disease and can spread disease to others in their classroom and community-including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.  Schools are highly susceptible to outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Children ages four to six who are getting ready for kindergarten are due for boosters of four vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Varicella (chickenpox), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and polio.  Older children-like pre-teens and teens-need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), MCV (meningococcal conjugate virus) and HPV.

College-age students need to be sure they are up-to-date on flu, meningococcal, HPV, and Tdap, as well.  A yearly flu vaccine is recommended for ALL children six months and older.

Immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th Century. They have significantly reduced the incidence of numerous infectious diseases, many of which are dangerous, even deadly. A child’s risk of infection is much reduced by vaccines because they work with the body’s natural defenses to help it safely develop immunity to disease.

Visit or call your health care provider or the San Juan County Public Health Department at 145 Rhone Street, Friday Harbor, 378-4474 to get your children up-to-date on their immunizations.

For info on immunizations, visit the Immunization Action Coalition at www.vaccineinformation.org or www.immunize.org.