When it is time for children to begin school, they must have received a pre-determined schedule of immunizations. In Danville, CA, Blackhawk Medical Group has a team of doctors who can help parents make sure their children have all the required immunizations at our primary office or at our walk-in location. We follow the recommendations of the AAP ( American Academy of Pediatrics) when administering immunizations.
All states in the United States have requirements for immunizations as part of their school schedules for children. According to the WHO, immunizations save between two and three million lives every year. That is impressive and makes getting immunizations for your child all the more important.
The CDC has recommendations for when and what immunizations should be required for children, but it does not set vaccination requirements for entering school. These are just recommendations and it is up to each individual state to determine what the requirements are in their state. In Danville, CA, immunizations are legally required for kindergarten and 7th grade with medical exemptions allowed.
If your child has been getting their regular immunizations along with the schedule suggested by their pediatrician, they should be in pretty good shape when it comes to entering kindergarten. If they have previously been in daycare, that will also have gone a long way toward making sure that the required immunizations will already have been done on schedule. The requirements for kindergarten entry are:
Be sure that you keep your children's immunization records where they are easy to access. If not, you can call the doctor's office where they received their immunizations and get a copy of the records. It is important if you have moved around a lot that you keep track of where you were living and what doctor gave your children the necessary immunizations.
One immunization that is not required but that the CDC recommends for all children over six months old is a flu vaccine and, unless there is a medical reason to avoid it, it is something to consider.
Before entering middle school or junior high, there are additional requirements in California for immunizations. These include:
The chickenpox vaccination is a second dose that is required before entry into 7th grade.
Before your children start kindergarten or 7th grade in Danville, CA, immunizations need to be updated. The team of doctors at Blackhawk Medical Group is here to make sure that you are in compliance with California law. Give the office a call at 925-736-7070 at our primary office and 925-309-2700 at our walk-in location.