New York City students prepare to start their classes this September 7th.
That is why the Department of Education reminds parents to verify that their children have the mandatory vaccinations to go to school.
The city’s Health Department together with the Education Department invite parents to vaccinate their children as part of their back-to-school campaign.
In New York City, all students from 2 months to 18 years of age are required to receive certain immunizations.
This includes students from public, private, or parochial schools. And also to those who go to daycare, pre-K or kindergarten.
“It is important so that infections that are preventable do not spread at school when children start, especially things like measles, chickenpox, in young children and in older children it is meningitis,” says Dr. Luis Velázquez, director of pediatrics at the Joseph Addabbo Clinic in Jamaica.
The doctor explains that in the state of New York only those who have a medical condition that prevents them from receiving the immunization are exempt from not being vaccinated.
“For example, a very allergic reaction that the child who nearly died had in the hospital or a child who had an epileptic attack after a vaccine.”
In 2019, New York State removed religious exemptions for required immunizations.
Required immunizations in New York City are:
DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis), poliovirus, MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), chickenpox, and Hepatitis B.
Children under five years of age who attend day care and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) should have the influenza type B (HiB) conjugate vaccine and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), as well as the influenza and Hepatitis A.
Doctors recommend that, although it is not mandatory, they also vaccinate their children against the human papillomavirus and against Covid-19.
As for immigrants who have just arrived in the city and who do not have their children’s medical records of vaccinations, doctors can help with blood tests to find out if the minors have any immunity.
The network of five Joseph Addabo community clinics in Queens and Brooklyn offer free immunizations to children without health insurance. For more information you can call 718-945-7150.
To find a community clinic that offers free vaccinations you can call 311.
2023-09-02 15:58:00
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