Private MD News

Doctors remind parents about vaccines

Category: Infectious Diseases

With the start of the new school year around the corner, medical experts from the Loyola University Health System are reminding parents that it is important to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccines. The public message was prompted in part by the latest outbreak of whooping cough, the most severe in 50 years.

"Though no one likes to get shots, vaccines are an integral part of keeping kids and our community safe. They work to safeguard children from illnesses and death caused by infectious diseases and protect our kids by helping prepare their bodies to fight often serious and potentially deadly diseases," said primary care doctor Heidi Renner.

Following these shots, parents who want to assess their kids' immunity against common diseases may send for a lab test.

According to recommended vaccine schedules, children entering kindergarten should be inoculated against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and chicken pox. Upon entering the sixth grade, students may need boosters against chicken pox, meningitis and tetanus.

Besides vaccinations, strategies against infectious disease include regular hand-washing and keeping children home from school when they are sick.

Parents who are unsure of their children's vaccine schedule may assess their immunity with the help of a lab test.