August 21, 2020 – While social distancing and self-isolating, some
families are taking advantage of this extra at-home time by focusing on
improving their health. Choosing to eat more nutritious foods and developing
an exercise routine is good for the body as well as the mind and spirit,
especially during a time when everyone’s normal routine is so disrupted.
But health experts have an important reminder for parents: COVID-19 prevention
shouldn't translate to skipping your child's vaccines.
Students entering school for the first time need vaccinations as well as
vision, hearing, dental, and nutrition screenings. Also, children born
on or after January 1, 2002, who are attending seventh grade, and new
entrants into Georgia schools in grades 8 through 12, must have one dose
of Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal vaccine. The HPV vaccine
is also recommended for both girls and boys ages 11–12 to protect
against cancers and other diseases caused by human papillomavirus.
“Although we must protect ourselves and our children from COVID-19,
we also still need to protect them from other harmful diseases,” says
Renali Agbayani-Bautista, M.D., pediatrician,
Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Pediatrics, and Chief, Department of Pediatrics,
Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus. “Vaccines help protect kids of all ages from serious diseases,
include whooping cough and measles. These preventive medicine practices
are essential to the health and well being of all children. Especially
during a pandemic, parents don’t need another disease to worry about.
Having children receive vaccines against the diseases that we have the
capability to prevent is an easy and effective way to ensure good health.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children get
most of their vaccines by age 2. Despite that recommendation, statistics
show that fewer kids have been getting their vaccines during the coronavirus crisis.
“Now is the time to schedule your child’s shots,” says
Agbayani-Bautista. “Our offices are taking steps to keep patients
safe from COVID-19 during checkups and vaccine visits, including wearing
face masks, social distancing, practicing good hand hygiene, and extra
office cleanings. And if you’re unsure whether or not your children
have fallen behind on their shots, just ask! We’ll provide vaccine
recommendations to ensure they are safe for the coming school year.”
Here are some illnesses and infections that vaccines prevent.
Infants and toddlers (birth to age 2 years)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis)
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
- Chickenpox
- Pneumococcus
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio
- Haemophilus
- Rotavirus
Preschoolers and school-aged kids (ages 3 to 10)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis)
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
- Chickenpox
- Polio
- Pneumococcus (for high-risk patients)
Preteens and teens (ages 11 to 18)
- HPV
- Meningitis
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
To schedule an appointment at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Pediatrics
(Camden), call 912-673-8000 or learn more at
sghs.org/peds. Or, to find a pediatrician close to home, call the Health System’s
free provider referral line at 855-ASK-SGHS (855-275-7447).
For more information on COVID-19 and how to protect yourself and your loved
ones, visit
sghs.org/covid-19. Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including but not limited to unexplained
cough, fever, and shortness of breath, should call the Health System’s
screening hotline: 912-466-7222.