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Mobile Health Services encourage getting sixth grade vaccinations before the summer rush begins
Chris Albert
Officials with Good Samaritan Hospital Mobile Health Services want parents of incoming sixth graders to be thinking about getting required vaccinations sooner rather than later.
“They have to have it to start school next year,” said Robin Peterson, coordinator of Mobile Health Services.
Waiting until August before school starts can be a problem because health services get overrun with students needing vaccines for school.
“It’s really a problem because every place is really busy,” Peterson said. “We’re not seeing a lot of kids right now. It’s a lot easier now than it is later.”
Parents should look into getting required vaccines right when their children turns the required 11 years old, Peterson said. The summer can be difficult not only because a rush on the service, but also because it can be harder to drag a student to get a shot on a hot summer day.
”You start to forget that ‘Oh there are another set of vaccines due,’” she said. “I get frantic phone calls from parents every August.”
One of the new vaccinations incoming sixth graders need is the Tdap vaccination. It’s been a requirement for a couple of years, but it takes a few years before parents are really aware of the requirement, Peterson said. The vaccination is a preventative measure for whooping cough.
“We’re seeing it more in older teens and adults,” Peterson said. “And it’s very contagious.”
The illness often takes about three months to recover from, she said, and missing that amount of class time can be detrimental to a student’s school year.
The vaccination not only protects those vaccinated, but helps prevent students who can come in contact with susceptible carriers.
“We want to protect kids in core contact,” Peterson said. “It can be life threatening if babies get the whooping cough.”
While the Tdap vaccine is required for school attendance, there are also vaccinations the Center of Disease Control has deemed medically necessary for 11- to 12-year-olds if they haven’t had them before.
Fifth graders going into sixth grade will need their Hepatitis A series, Meningitis, dose No. 2 of Varicella if they haven’t had chicken pox in the past and girls are due to start their human papilloma virus series, according to the CDC.
Through Washington funded grants, vaccinations at Mobile Health Services are free of charge. There is an administrative fee of $15.60 per vaccine, but it is on a sliding scale based on need.
All children will receive vaccinations regardless of ability to pay, Peterson said. Many of the immunization sites are open for children who turn 11 years old from May 8 to the first day of school in September.
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Immunization information
> For Mobile Health Services locations and information, go to www.goodsamhelath.org or call Mobile Health at 253-697-8160.
> For more information about vaccines and vaccine schedules, go to www.immunize.org or www.cdc.gov.