What new immunizations will children entering the seventh grade need this year?
Children 11 and older need a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis booster. Most children have already gotten this, but those who have not must have the vaccine before the start of school. They’ll also need one dose of the meningococcal vaccine and two doses of the varicella, or chicken pox, vaccine. What’s new for kids starting kindergarten? There’s a new recommendation for a second or booster dose of the chicken pox vaccine. We used to give just one dose and discovered children need a booster dose. Kids starting kindergarten also need to complete the hepatitis A vaccine. Why has pertussis, or whooping cough, become such a concern? We see so much pertussis in the community. When adults and older kids get pertussis, they don’t get seriously ill. They do get a miserable illness that lasts six weeks. But they can transfer it to babies, who can become seriously ill and die. Why do seventh-graders need the meningococcal vaccine? This is a one-dose vaccine, and it addresses the type of meningit
Related Questions
- What if a student is entering seventh grade and it has been less than five years since the last tetanus-containing vaccine? Will they still need the Tdap vaccination?
- Do children who will be 10 years old when entering 6th grade need the Tdap before entering school?
- What new immunizations will children entering the seventh grade need this year?
