EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – The start of the school year is upon us. And while new notebooks, sneakers and pudding snack packs are all back-to-school essentials, parents also need to make sure that their children have their required vaccinations prior to the start of school.
“Many parents in our area are getting letters from schools telling them that their children need certain shots prior to admission to fifth grade,” says Sandra Burmylo-Magrann, a pediatric nurse practitioner with Shore Memorial Hospital’s Quick Care Centers. “This is the school nursing effort to support the current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vaccine recommendations for adolescents after the age of 11.”
One of the most important, and common, vaccines required by public schools is the meningococcal, or meningitis vaccine.
Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. About 1,000 to 2,600 people contract meningococcal disease annually in the United States, according to the CDC. Even with antibiotic treatment, approximately 10 to 15 percent of those people succumb to the illness.
The CDC recommends that children receive the meningitis vaccine, often known by the brand name “Menactra,” following their 11th birthday. Most area elementary and middle schools require their students to have the vaccine at the time of fifth grade.
The vaccine is also a requirement for most college students prior to moving on-campus, as meningitis is common among college freshmen living in dormitories.
“Children ages 6 through 11 can also receive this vaccine if they have certain serious medical conditions, such as a missing or non-functioning spleen,” Burmylo-Magrann says.
Another required vaccine is TDaP, an acronym for a combination vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. The CDC recommends that children also have this vaccine after their 11th birthday, and many schools require it for enrollment.
“Pertussis, or whooping cough, has been on the rise in the last few years, mostly in adolescents and infants,” says Burmylo-Magrann. “At least 8 to 40 infant deaths are reported annually. Therefore adolescents, as well as parents of newborns and those around them are highly encouraged to get this vaccine.”
To help busy parents make sure their children’s vaccinations are up to date for school, Shore Memorial is offering both the meningitis and TDaP vaccines at its Egg Harbor Township Quick Care Center, located in Harbor Village Square at the corner of Ocean Heights Ave. and Zion Road.
The vaccines cost $25 each and are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by appointment.
Shore Memorial is also offering the pneumococcal and Gardasil vaccines.
The pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against certain types of pneumonia, is available in two forms. One is recommended as part of the normal childhood immunization at 2, 4, and 6 months and between 12 and 15 months or between 2 and 5 years old if not completely vaccinated.
The other form of pneumococcal vaccine is suitable from 2 years old through adulthood and those who have underlying medical conditions such as severe asthma, diabetes, HIV, COPD, emphysema, kidney failure or missing or injured spleen.
Gardasil is highly effective in preventing cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer and cancer death in women around the world. It is a series of three shots that is highly recommended for girls over the age of 11, but can be give to women ages 9 through 26.
For more information, call 609-927-8069.
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