Edhat Staff
Source: Public Health Department
Back-to-school season is here and it is the perfect time to make sure your children are up to date on their vaccines. To celebrate the importance of immunizations for people of all ages and to make sure children and adolescents are protected with all the vaccines they need as they go back to school, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is joining with partners nationwide in recognizing August as National Immunization Awareness Month.
“Getting children and adolescents all of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children from serious diseases,” says Charity Dean, MD Health Officer of Santa Barbara County. “If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to check with your child’s doctor to find out what vaccines your child needs.”
California law requires students to receive certain immunizations in order to attend public and private elementary and secondary schools as well as licensed child care centers. Schools and licensed child care centers are required to enforce immunization requirements, maintain immunization records of all children enrolled, and report student immunization status to the California Department of Public Health.
For more information about school immunization requirements, visit the Shots for School website: www.shotsforschool.org, contact your child’s physician, school nurse or the Public Health Department Immunization Program at www.sbcphd.org/iz.
