Getting your ducks in a row for a healthy school year

  • By Shelly Webb
  • August 17, 2010
  • 294
                        
Many parents have been busy these last few days gathering school supplies, filling out medical forms and learning bus routes. With a new school year just days away it’s important to make sure every student is prepared both mentally and physically for a fresh start. Leslie Knowling, RN, a Holmes County Health Department immunization nurse, explained the required immunizations in the state of Ohio. These requirements affect all students so keeping your child up-to-date is very important. “Children entering kindergarten are required by Ohio law to have: four or more doses of DTaP (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus), four or more doses of IPV (polio), two MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), three doses of hepatitis B, and two doses of the chickenpox vaccine,” Knowling said. “Some children may have had a Hepatitis A vaccine as well. The Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children 12-24 months. However, it is not a school required shot because the risk of disease decreases as older children are less apt to put everything in their mouths and hopefully wash hands more often.” Kindergartners aren’t the only age group of students that may be in need of boosters and immunizations. According to Knowling, as of this school year (2010-2011) all students entering seventh grade must have a Tdap (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough) shot. “This is meant as a booster to the shots received when entering kindergarten,” she explained. “Whooping cough has been a persistent problem. It is believed that the shot received at age 5 loses effectiveness. There are times when an older person develops a severe cough and doesn’t realize it is whooping cough. Not only does the illness result in lost school days, but the school age group may easily transmit whooping cough to other family members.” Knowling said that two other immunizations are also being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for adolescents but are not required for school entry. “The meningococcal vaccine is recommended,” she said. “This vaccine protects against meningococcal disease, which is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal fluid. This is a serious disease that progresses rapidly and can lead to pneumonia, loss of limbs and death. Although it is not required for public schools, most colleges require a dose before entry. In addition to immunizations there are other good rules to follow if you want to insure your child has a healthy school year. Tami Bucklew, RN, BSN, school health nurse at the Holmes County Health Department, advises parents to carefully consider the following health rules. “Parents often have the difficult task of deciding if their child is too ill to attend school or if they should keep them home,” Bucklew shared. “If a child is sent to school with a contagious illness they are putting other children at risk of becoming ill, especially children with weakened immune systems that are more susceptible.” If a child exhibits symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, breaks out in an unexplained rash, has yellow or green drainage from the eyes or extreme redness and irritation of the eyes he or she should be kept home from school. Also, if he or she has a temperature of 100 degrees F by mouth, has increased pain from an earache, headache, sore throat or recent injury they should not be at school. Bucklew also recommends talking with children about safety rules regarding strangers and encouraging them to eat a well-balanced breakfast each morning. These are basic common sense rules that will start your child off right and keep them safe. “Parents should make sure children are receiving adequate rest and sleep daily,” Bucklew added. “An active, growing child requires 10-12 hours of sleep each night. Also make sure to alert the school if your child has any type of medical condition or allergy. It’s also helpful if all the emergency medical forms are completed promptly and returned to school as soon as possible.” It’s essential to teach proper hand washing techniques and encourage this practice often, especially during flu and cold season. Hands should be washed for a minimum of 30 seconds using friction and washing from fingertips to elbows. “Encourage your children to use a paper towel to turn off faucets so they will avoid contaminating their clean hands,” Bucklew said. “Also encourage them to avoid coughing or sneezing into their hands. Instead they should cough or sneeze into their elbow region. This will help minimize the spread of germs.” Dental and eye exams should be on your back to school list as well. If assistance is needed for health and dental care the Healthy Start program is available to assist families. Healthy Start information and applications are available at the Holmes County Health District and at the Department of Job and Family Services. There is also a program to assist with vision needs. The Sight for Students Vision Program is available to cover vision exams and the cost of glasses to qualifying families. Those applications and any other back to school health information can be obtained by contacting Bucklew at the Holmes County Health Department by calling 330-674-5035, ext. 237. Get your child off to a great school year by checking off the immunizations and items on the health list right along with the pencils and paper!


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