County health officials are tapping on the shoulders of parents and guardians, nudging them to update their children's vaccination records in preparation for the new school year. With classroom doors ready to swing open soon, they're stressing the significance of keeping immunizations in check—ranging from DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis/whooping cough) to Hepatitis B, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine), chickenpox, polio, and a handful of others mandated by Californian law for students from TK through 12th grade, according to the County of San Diego.
The emphasis isn't just on the obligatory jabs, though. There's a special call-out for the HPV vaccine, even though it's not on the required list for school attendance. Targeted at boys and girls ages 9 to 13, this vaccine is a proactive jab against six types of cancers that could develop in adulthood.
According to the County of San Diego, "August also is a good time for everyone to revisit vaccine records because it is National Immunization Awareness Month."
