It’s nearing that time of year again—summer camps are coming to a close and late night bonfires and s'mores will soon be a thing of the past. Before your kids head back to school, they will need to have their annual back-to-school check-up, and vaccination is one thing you’ll want to be sure to have done. We'll walk you through why vaccines are important, what you need to know about them, an immunization checklist, and how you can book your child's appointment!

Why Are Vaccines Important?

Vaccines in children are crucial for year-round health during the school year, as they help protect against diseases that are serious and life-threatening. Many diseases like meningitis, measles, and the flu can cause kids to miss out on valuable education and diminish their health, or worse, lead to death. When kids aren’t vaccinated, they are not only at an increased risk for becoming sick from deadly diseases, but they can spread diseases to others in their community.

What You Need To Know About Immunizations

Do you know if your state requires your child to get vaccines before the school year starts? The CDC offers a State Information Website for immunizations where you can learn about what your particular state requires for children going to school. If you live around the Twin Cities, Minnesota offers a printable immunization checklist for you to use.

At Voyage Healthcare, we accept a wide range of insurance carriers, but if you don’t have health insurance or your policy doesn’t cover all vaccines, your child might be eligible for the Vaccines for Children program. Take a look at our payment options for more information on how you can pay for immunizations.

Vaccines Checklist for Kids Age 0-16

There are quite a few shots that children need throughout their lifetime. We've broken down each one, as well as the age, in this short checklist:

Newborn through Six-Years Old:

• Annual flu vaccine: Protects against Influenza (flu)
• DTaP: Protects against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
• Hib: Protects against Hib which is Haemophilus influenzae type b
• HepA: Protects against Hepatitis A
• HepB: Protects against Hepatitis B
• MMR: Protects against Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• PCV13: Protects against Pneumococcus
• IPV: Protects against Polio
• RV: Protects against Rotavirus
• Varicella Vaccine: Protects against Chickenpox

Vaccines aren’t just for babies and young children—if you have a pre-teen or a teenager, there are still vaccines or boosters that they will need before going back to school.

Preteen though Teenage (7-18):

• Annual Flu Vaccine: Protects against Influenza (flu)
• Tdap: Booster shot against Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (Whooping Cough)
• PCV13: Protects against Pneumococcus
• IPV: Protects against Polio
• RV: Protects against Rotavirus
• Varicella Vaccine: Protects against Chickenpox
• MMR: Booster against Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• HepA: Protects against Hepatitis A
• HepB: Protects against Hepatitis B
• HPV: Protects against Human Papillomavirus
• Meningococcal Vaccine: Meningococcal disease (meningitis and bloodstream infections)

Note: Unless your pre-teen or teenager is on a catch-up schedule, they will only need an annual flu shot, as well as their booster shots for Tdap, MMR, plus, two additional vaccines, HPV and Meningococcal.

Missed Any Vaccines?

Don’t worry if your child has missed some of their recommended vaccines. At your appointment, let your provider know, and they will use a catch-up immunization schedule. These schedules help to get your child back on the right track, and more importantly, healthy for the school year!

Back To School Appointments at Voyage Healthcare

If your child plans on traveling outside the country, has any medical conditions or has missed a shot, chat with your Family Medicine provider at Voyage Healthcare and we’ll make sure your loved ones are healthy and ready to go for their education and their life. We also offer more than just prepping for immunization—view the rest of our services.

Get your kids back-to-school-ready with an appointment at one of our Voyage Healthcare locations!