As fall approaches and a new school year begins, it's crucial to prioritize the health and safety of children, especially in light of COVID-19. It's important to remember that vaccines offer protection against a range of serious diseases, not just the coronavirus. Before embarking on back-to-school shopping and capturing those first day pictures, ensure that your family has the necessary immunizations to start the school year safely.

Adhering to a Vaccination Schedule

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a recommended vaccination schedule for newborns and children. While infants receive essential vaccinations during their first years of life, additional boosters are necessary for school-aged children. These include vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella(MMR), varicella (VAR), and an annual flu shot. It's also crucial to ensure children receive vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), and the meningococcal shot.

COVID-19 Vaccination for Children

COVID-19 continues to pose a threat, even as we return to normal life and the pandemic no longer tops the news. Vaccines are approved for children as young as six months old. If your child is unvaccinated, multiple vaccine series are available, depending on their age: 

Pfizer-Biontech Bivalent Vaccine:

• Children 6 months to 4 years old – 3 doses
• Children 5 years and older – 1 dose

Moderna Bivalent Vaccine:

• Children 6 months to 5 years old – 2 doses
• Children 6 years and older – 1 dose

If your child is between 6 months to 5 years old and has already received one or more monovalent doses, your health care team will provide you information on current recommendations based on your vaccine history.

Maintaining Prevention Habits

Given the ease with which COVID-19 and other viruses can spread, it’s crucial for children to adopt healthy habits. These include:

• Practicing washing hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoiding close contact with sick individuals.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the crook of an arm.
• Wearing masks in public when you or a family member are sick.

Establishing a New Routine

In addition to vaccines and COVID-19 prevention measures, it's important to be prepared and establish routines for the new school year. Ensure that your child's school or care facility has your updated contact information for emergency purposes. Regularly check your children for signs of illness, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Body aches
• Stay informed about potential COVID-19 exposures and know whom to contact at the school in such cases.

Reinforce proper hand-washing techniques at home and emphasize their importance. Help your child develop daily routines for school, such as using hand sanitizer and a water bottle, as well as washing hands immediately upon returning home.

Stay Informed and Seek Support

Engage in meaningful conversations with your child after school to understand their experiences, and stay attuned to reports of excessive coughing, classroom disruptions, or students leaving school premises due to illness. Being aware of the happenings in their school environment can directly impact your home environment.

Dealing with Change

At AltaMed, we understand the challenges families face during these times. We are here to support you by providing resources for dealing with testing and treating COVID-19, as well as access to vaccines. Additionally, our counseling services can assist children in navigating the stress associated with returning to school.

To learn more about how AltaMed can help, visit AltaMed.org or call us at (888) 499-9303. For information about vaccines or testing, please visit our vaccine hub.