16 Aug Back-to-School Immunizations & Physicals

Back-to-School Immunizations & Physicals 

With the start of the new school year fast approaching, Bay Care Rural Health Clinic at Munising Memorial Hospital is scheduling appointments for children to get back-to-school vaccines and physicals to ensure they keep themselves and their peers safe. 

Physicals are essential for many reasons, including tracking your child’s growth and development milestones and discussing any concerns you might have about their health. During an appointment, parents can expect a provider to also check their child’s height, weight, blood pressure and pulse, eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, and so on. 

Scheduling a physical, also known as a well-child visit, and getting your child vaccinated is one of the best things you can do to protect them and the community from serious and contagious diseases like measles and whooping cough, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports. The CDC suggests that children ages 4 -6 years should receive vaccines to protect them from the following diseases: 

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis) (DTaP) (5th dose) 
• Polio (IPV) (4th dose) 
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) (2nd dose) 
• Chickenpox (Varicella) (2nd dose) 
• Influenza (Flu) (recommended every year) 
• COVID-19  

On-time vaccination throughout childhood is important because it helps provide immunity before they’re exposed to potentially life-threatening ailments. Vaccines are tested to ensure that they are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages, the CDC states. 

Michigan’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, recently reported at an East Lansing conference that childhood vaccination rates have dropped below 70% in more than half of Michigan’s counties since the COVID-19 pandemic. For children born in the United States between 1994 and 2013, the CDC estimates that vaccinations will prevent 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes. 

For those who are unsure about their child’s vaccination status, call your health care provider to obtain a copy of your Michigan Care Improvement Registry record, which should show proof of all vaccines received in Michigan.  

To learn more about recommended vaccination schedules, Michigan-specific resources and vaccines in general, visit ivaccinate.org. The I Vaccinate campaign is a joint public-private effort of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Franny Strong Foundation that “highlights that there is medical consensus on vaccine — they are safe and effective at preventing disease and protect entire communities from outbreaks,” the campaign’s website states. 

To set up an appointment or inquire about back-to-school physicals and vaccinations, call Bay Care Rural Health Clinic in Munising at (906) 387-4338. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.