Parents Must Act Now to Meet Vaccine Requirements
School vaccine requirements are changing, and in some states, parents need to start thinking about what vaccines their children will need before they start school in August.
For example, starting in the 2018 school year, all students in public and private schools in Kentucky will need to have 2 doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine.
Because the minimum time between each dose is 6 months, officials are asking parents to schedule appointments for their children to get the first and second vaccine as soon as possible.
If the child has not already been immunized against Hepatitis A, they will need to receive their first dose by February to have enough time to get the second dose before school starts in August 2018.
According to Henderson County Schools Public Information Officer Megan Mortis:
“That’s why we are trying to really push out this information in January, so folks can get ready. We want to make sure all of our students are meeting this requirement.”
Students over 16 years old will also need to be up-to-date on their meningococcal ACWY vaccine, which usually means 2 doses — and they will need to submit proof of having received both vaccines.
The first dose of the meningococcal ACWY is typically administered when a child is 11 or 12 years old, with a “booster” shot when they are in their late teens.
However, if a teenager received their first dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine when they were 16 years or older, proof of a second dose is not required for admission to school.
Source: Parents must act now to meet new school vaccine requirements
