Getting vaccinations protects your child and those around them.
SAN ANTONIO — We are about two weeks away from the start of school, and the rush is on to get kids ready for the classroom. Doctors say making sure they are as protected as possible against illnesses should be at the top of parents’ lists.
One of the ways to do that is by keeping up with their immunizations, no matter what the age from Kindergarten all the way up to college. It’s also proactive to understand the immunizations are not just protecting the child receiving the shot, but those around them as well.
“We have this thing called herd immunity or community immunity. And so, this is just the idea that when everybody’s vaccinated, it’s much more difficult for those diseases to be passed on from person to person,” said Dr. Hannah Sosnowski from CHRISTUS Santa Rosa, where you can schedule vaccinations for your child.
Doctors say sticking to the vaccine schedule is the best practice to keep your child as healthy as possible.
“It’s really written in a way so that we can provide the maximum amount of protection to your child, and that’s all based on their, their ability of their immune system at that age,” Dr. Sosnowski said.
According to the CDC in 2024 over 14 million children under the age of one did not receive basic vaccines. They are called “zero-dose” children. That is nearly 171,000 fewer than in 2023, but 1.4 million more than before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctors say back to school immunizations protect against a variety of serious preventable diseases including measles, mumps, and rubella, with the MMR shot, diptheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio.
And, if you have any hesitancy make sure you voice your concerns with your family doctor.
“Talk to your pediatrician, ask questions. We love questions. I love to talk about vaccines. And I love it when parents come in and they want to know what’s in the vaccine,” Dr. Sosnowski said.