Parents who have school vaccine questions can start with their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider, says Dr. Penelope Goode, emergency medicine physician and medical director at Providence St. Peter Hospital. In a back-to-school health reminder from Providence Swedish, Goode explains that vaccines prepare children’s bodies to fight serious infections before exposure and help protect infants, grandparents, classmates and people who cannot receive some vaccines.
Many diseases vaccines prevent are rare today because immunization programs have worked, but they have not disappeared. Measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, whooping cough, meningococcal disease and HPV-related cancers can still cause serious complications, hospital stays or death. Goode said babies are especially vulnerable to whooping cough, and meningococcal disease is “devastating and often fatal” though an effective vaccine exists.
When vaccination rates fall, illnesses can spread more easily through families, schools and hospitals. Parents and caregivers should review vaccine records, check school or childcare requirements and ask a trusted provider about timing, safety, recommended schedules or catch-up plans. Providence St. Peter Hospital’s inpatient pediatric team provides family-centered care for infants, children and teens 24/7.
