Sources: UpShot Newsletter and Health Policy Institute of Ohio
COVID has set the stage for students across Ohio to return to school in a variety of ways. With vaccine rates still lagging, we must continue to remind parents that one of the best ways to protect the health and safety of all students, teachers, caregivers, and the community is to make sure students have their recommended vaccinations. Whether a student is in kindergarten or college, vaccinations are important!
Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter’s Fast Vax Facts schedule that can be shared with parents and guardians.
Childhood vaccination rates have dropped precipitously in the first months of the pandemic. New York City’s numbers have especially plummeted. At the time, many parents were afraid to venture out to doctors’ offices and many pediatricians restricted their hours to emergency cases.
Protecting against the impending flu season in the United States is foremost on the minds of public health officials, who worry about the confluence of cases of flu and COVID-19 hitting hospitals this fall and winter. On August 19, Massachusetts announced that it will require all students, ranging from 6-month-olds in day care centers to those under 30, to get flu shots by Thursday, December 31. It is the first state to institute such a sweeping requirement for the shot, which is rarely mandated in the United States.