It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and the 2015-16 school year is just around the corner.
During this time, parents are preparing themselves for the day-to-day chaos of getting their children to school on time, making sure they make it to their fall activity practices and other events and helping their children stock up with the correct school supplies.
Obviously, it’s a bustling time of the year for families, but it’s also the perfect time to make sure your children are up to date on their vaccines. After all, getting all of the recommended vaccines is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health, especially when they are in a setting like a school or child care facility where disease outbreaks can occur.
To celebrate the importance of immunizations for people of all ages – and make sure children are protected with all the vaccines they need – San Juan Basin Health Department is joining with partners nationwide in recognizing August as National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines protect against a number of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk for diseases and can also spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community – including infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems because of cancer or other health conditions.
As a public-health department, we at SJBHD want to encourage our communities’ residents to get all of their recommended vaccines.
It is best to receive these in your medical home, by your pediatric or primary care provider, to ensure that care is well coordinated and is a partnership between you and your health-care provider. The Affordable Care Act recognizes the importance of preventive health services and therefore covers all vaccines for children from birth to age 18 for those who have health insurance, whether private insurance, Medicaid or CHP+.
For another option, the Vaccines for Children program provides immunizations to children regardless of ability to pay. Children from birth to age 18 may qualify based on these criteria: Medicaid eligible, Native American/Native Alaskan, no health insurance coverage or underinsured.
SJBHD offers the VFC program as well as the school-based health centers at Durango High School and Florida Mesa Elementary and other clinics in Durango and Pagosa Springs.
Specific immunizations are required for children entering child care, preschool, kindergarten and sixth grade, and for children in other grades enrolling in a Colorado school for the first time. For a list of required immunizations, visit www.coloradoimmunizations.com.
No parent wants his or her child to contract a preventable disease, and vaccines are the best first line of defense. Do yourself and your community a favor by making sure your children have received all of their immunizations.
Michelle Wilson, MPH, is the planning and communications specialist at San Juan Basin Health Department.
