Back to School: CHRISTUS Health reminds parents of required immunizations as kids return to classrooms

(EAST TEXAS) – As the summer break comes to an end and students across the state prepare a return to the classroom, CHRISTUS Health is reminding parents about required immunizations and their role in limiting transmission of illness.

 

“In the simplest of terms, immunizations are helping the body build an immune response,” said Dr. Evelyn Chou, family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “Vaccines help your body understand what is dangerous and needs to be fought so that if you come across that illness in the future, your body knows what to do.”

 

Texas law requires children to be vaccinated against several diseases before attending school, including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), hepatitis A and B, and DTap (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) among others.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), thousands of adults and children in the United States get sick each year from diseases that vaccines can help prevent. For patients with asthma or who are immune-compromised, vaccines can help protect their health from illnesses like influenza and pneumonia.

 

“By the time a child is 12 years old, most of their vaccines that they need multiples of have already been completed,” Chou said. “After that, we encourage your annual shots, especially flu.”

 

For children that may have not been vaccinated or are behind on vaccinations, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides a “catch-up” schedule to ensure that children and adolescents can receive required vaccinations.

 

Parents who may have questions about the vaccination status of their child are encouraged to speak to their family doctor as well as local school districts regarding any vaccination requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTUS Health is an international faith-based, not-for-profit health care system based in Irving, Texas, with more than 60 hospitals in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. CHRISTUS Health is made up of 50,000 Associates providing compassionate and individualized care at more than 600 centers, including community hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and health ministries. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston, Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, our mission is to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to every individual we serve. For more information, visit www.christushealth.org