IOWA, USA — Parents still have some time to get their children’s immunizations up to date, but they’ll want to do it sooner rather than later.
Iowa state law gives parents until 60 days after the first day of school to submit necessary documentation.
All public school students need the diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, red measles, three day measles, chickenpox and hepatitis B vaccines. Seventh and 12th grade students will need the meningitis vaccine as well.
“When you crowd people into a small space, it's going to be a great place for bugs to spread,” Des Moines UnityPoint Health nurse practitioner Janae Brown said. “We really want to keep our students safe and prevent preventable diseases.”
Medical professionals say staying up to date on immunizations helps reduce the spread of major illnesses.
“There may be a whooping cough and it'll pop up in some communities that you don't see as much vaccine uptake,” Dr. Seth Quam with Des Moines University Clinic said. “If we can even reduce the amount of illness and the symptoms experienced, it tends to benefit everybody within the schools.”
State law does allow students to opt out of the requirements for medical or religious reasons.
For a medical exemption, students would need a note signed by a physician that states receiving the vaccine could harm them or their family. For a religious exemption, they’d need to have a document signed by a parent stating the vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs.
Last school year, about 5.5% of Polk County public school students were not fully vaccinated, according to an audit from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
“We really encourage people to ask questions and to share any concerns they might have,” Iowa Public Health Association President Kady Reese said. “Our doctors and physicians and nurse practitioners are really excited to have that conversation with our patients and their families.”
For anyone uninsured, the Polk County Health Department offers free childhood immunizations.
Though not required by the state, medical professionals recommend families consider getting the flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines as well.