By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — As kids prepare to return to school, parents should talk to their children’s doctors about routine vaccinations, which can help keep children healthy and safe throughout the school year.
“Back-to-school preparation is about more than buying supplies,” said Heather Wingo, extension immunization educator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “This is a chance to make sure our children are healthy, protected and ready to learn.
“Reviewing vaccines and scheduling a wellness visit before school starts can help families avoid last-minute stress and give parents a trusted place to ask questions,” she said.
School time brings children together in common areas such as classrooms, buses and cafeterias, where illnesses can spread more easily, Wingo said.
“Vaccination helps protect children individually and as a group by making it harder for illnesses to spread from person to person,” Wingo said. “When the majority of children are vaccinated, it helps to create an immunity to the illnesses the vaccines protect against.
“Even when not all children are vaccinated, vaccines still provide benefits to the individual child,” Wingo said. “For example, they may still get sick, but the vaccines can help reduce the severity and duration of illness.”
Wingo said that when parents and caregivers take time to educate themselves on recommended routine vaccines, they can feel more confident when talking with their child’s doctor.
“Talking with their child’s doctor is the best place to start, because their doctor can review the child’s vaccine record and discuss the recommendations,” Wingo said. “Additionally, the doctor can make personalized recommendations specific to the child’s health history.”
Routine vaccination milestones
Wingo said parents should be aware of several routine vaccination milestones.
“These milestones represent a time when children or young adults are entering a new group setting and may be exposed to vaccine-preventable illnesses,” Wingo said.
These milestones include the following age groups:
- Childcare or daycare and early childhood programs: Children in Arkansas attending childcare facilities must be age-appropriately immunized against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, Hib, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease and varicella/chickenpox. “This milestone matters because childcare settings involve close contact, shared toys and developing hygiene habits,” Wingo said.
- Kindergarten entry: In Arkansas, children entering kindergarten must meet state immunization requirements for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and varicella/chickenpox. “At this age, children are transitioning to a larger school environment with more classmates, teachers, buses and cafeterias,” Wingo said.
- Preteen and middle school: For students age 11 and older, one vaccine is required for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Students also must get the meningococcal vaccine when they begin seventh grade and again when they turn 16. Wingo said this is also a great time to talk to a child’s doctor about the HPV vaccination, which is recommended for cancer prevention but not required.
“This is an important milestone because protection from some early childhood vaccines can decrease over time, and adolescents are starting to become more active in sports, travel and social settings,” Wingo said.
- College entry: College students in Arkansas must show proof of a measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, immunity, exemption, or status of being born before 1957. “It is also helpful to ask the child’s doctor about meningococcal vaccines if the student will be living in close quarters, like on-campus housing,” Wingo said.
Wingo suggested the American Academy of Pediatrics as a helpful place for parents and caregivers of healthy children to find information about recommended routine vaccinations.
HPV vaccine and seasonal respiratory vaccines
Wingo said it is important for parents to be informed about the HPV vaccine and the importance of seasonal respiratory vaccines, such as the flu shot.
The vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, provides cancer prevention for later in life. It is recommended for ages 11-12 and can be given as early as age 9, Wingo said.
“The best time to get an HPV vaccine is before being exposed to the virus,” Wingo said. “This vaccine may not be required for school attendance, but it’s important for health protection across the lifespan. Back-to-school wellness visits are a great time to ask about the HPV vaccine.”
Wingo said it is critical for parents to understand that seasonal respiratory vaccines are important for school readiness.
“Respiratory illnesses can spread quickly in classrooms, buses, sports, after-school activities and homes,” Wingo said. “Annual flu vaccination helps reduce flu illness, doctor visits, missed school days and the risk of serious complications in children. Other respiratory vaccines include RSV for infants and COVID-19 for ages 6 months and older.”
Typically, flu vaccinations happen in September and October, but now is a great time to start asking questions, Wingo said.
Schedule an annual wellness visit
Scheduling a wellness visit with a pediatrician is a great chance to maintain an up-to-date record of the child’s growth and development, as well as a chance to screen for other concerns like vision, hearing, physical health, and mental or emotional concerns, Wingo said.
“This also gives families the chance to complete school-related health forms and a designated time to discuss questions about the forms with the doctor,” Wingo said.
Wingo said that an annual wellness visit is also a good time to have conversations with the child’s doctor about potential bodily changes to anticipate if the child is going through puberty or may be beginning puberty during the school year.
“This is an opportunity to help a child understand the physical changes that will occur, but also this time can be used to help normalize questions from teens who may feel embarrassed,” Wingo said. “It allows the teen to hear accurate information from a health professional.”
Wingo said parents should also consider scheduling other preventive health screenings, including dental cleanings for oral health, and vision or hearing screenings if the child is struggling with reading, headaches, paying attention or group participation.
Check out the following Cooperative Extension Service pages for more vaccine education resources:
- Immunity in AR Community
- Whooping Cough in Our Communities: What Families Should Know
- The Hidden Power Behind Vaccine Recommendations
- Your Guide to Vaccine Updates and Outbreaks This Season
- Understanding the New Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
- Asking for Vaccines and Vaccine Records
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
