Parents urged to schedule immunizations before school

WASHINGTON — With the new school year just around the corner, Washington County Public Health and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) are reminding all parents to ensure their children are up to date on all immunizations.

“Back to school is one of the busiest times of the year for families, which is why we urge everyone with school-age children to schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your health care provider or Washington County Public Health,” said a news release from Washington County Public Health. “Keeping kids up to date on vaccines helps them stay safe from potentially life-threatening illnesses such as measles and whooping cough among others that do still exist and have been seen in our county.”

In the state of Iowa, all children in licensed child care and preschool must be adequately immunized against:

In the state of Iowa, all children in elementary or secondary schools must be adequately immunized against:

Parents and guardians can find additional information about immunizations required for child care and school on the Iowa HHS website at HHS.Iowa.gov/immtb/immunization.

If you have questions about your child’s immunizations and what’s required, talk with your family’s health care provider. Health care providers are there to provide information and help navigate which vaccines are required.