Back-to-School Prep Should Include Check-ups and Vaccines According to Intermountain Health

When preparing for back-to-school, there are many things to remember.  Back-to-school immunizations and well-visit check-ups are one of those things to prioritize, according to Intermountain Health.

“We want to encourage parents to start looking at well-child visits now and back-to-school immunizations before summer ends, because our clinics tend to get really busy at that time,” said Neal Davis, MD, medical director for pediatrics at Intermountain Health. “Some parents are coming in for summer camp medical checks, but we can also do school athletics and regular check-ups.”

“It’s a great time, since kids’ schedules are quite so busy,” said Dr. Davis.

“Your child’s well-check can be a time to catch-up on missing vaccines, as well as a time to review developmental assessments, vision and blood pressure screenings, important mental health screenings, and other guidance critical to a child’s health and growth,” said Dr. Davis.

“Your pediatrician can help you find what you need,” said Dr. Davis. “If finances are tight, or you don’t have insurance, the Vaccines for Children Program is available to those who qualify that can help cover costs.”

Dr. Davis said children can be protected from the following diseases through vaccination:

• Influenza (flu)
• HPV
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Polio
• Hepatitis A and B
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB)
• Neisseria meningitidis
• Pneumonia
• COVID

In addition to school required vaccines, the HPV vaccine is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for kids between the age of 9 and 12 years old to prevent six different types of cancer.

“We insist on seat belts, helmets, and other safety precautions for our children to keep them safe,” said Dr. Sheffield. “Vaccines are just one more way we work to keep our children healthy and safe.”

For more information visit https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/pediatrics/.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., www.intermountainhealth.org is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.