Photo courtesy CenCal Health.
SANTA BARBARA — As a new school year approaches, CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal health plan, encourages families to keep their children up to date on immunizations. Vaccinations help protect children from life-threatening illnesses. Additionally, California state law requires children to get certain vaccinations for both public and private schools.
“Vaccinations are essential to protecting young lives,” said CenCal Health Medical Director Patty Auchard, MD. “Immunization from harmful, infectious diseases is one of the most important ways we can secure the health of our children and our communities. Vaccination is simple, safe and effective, and has helped people of all ages live healthier lives.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises the following vaccine schedule for school-aged children.
-
-
-
- For 6 months and older: Flu = Influenza vaccine every year in the fall. (Some children 6 months through 8 years of age may need 2 doses.)
-
-
- For 5 years and older: updated COVID-19 vaccine (1 or more doses).
- For 4 to 6 years: DTaP = diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine; MMR = measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; IPV = polio vaccine, and VAR = chickenpox vaccine
- For 9 to 12 years: HPV = human papillomavirus vaccine (two doses required).
- For 11 to 12 years: MCV = meningococcal vaccine; Tdap = diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, and HPV = human papillomavirus vaccine (if two doses were not received prior).
- For 11 to 12, and 16 years: MenACWY = meningococcal vaccine (booster at age 16).
The CDC estimates that vaccination of children born between 1994 and 2021 will prevent 472 million illnesses and 29.8 million hospitalizations nationwide, helping to avoid 1,052,000 deaths. Vaccination will also save nearly $2.2 trillion in total societal costs, including $479 billion in direct costs.
To learn more or to schedule a timely vaccine appointment, CenCal Health advises parents or guardians to contact their child’s primary care provider. A list of needed vaccines is available at the CenCal Health website: Preventive Health Guidelines, and also at the Santa Barbara County Public Health website: School-Resources, and San Luis Obispo County Health Agency website: Shots for School.
More information on CenCal Health is available at cencalhealth.org and on social media pages at Facebook and LinkedIn.