Health Officials: Get children vaccinated before school starts

Getting your kids ready for school, can be a challenge. While it may be hard to think about anything other than books, clothes, shoes, or class.

There is one thing that may be more important than anything else you do over the next few weeks.

Jim Talbot with the Delaware Division of Public Health said, “I would suggest their children be vaccinated before they start it just protects their kid and also protects all the other kids around them.”

According to the Delaware department of education, state law requires all students in Delaware public schools to get vaccinated. 

These vaccines include the DPT vaccine stands which for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus diseases as well as the chicken pox vaccine. 

However the state of Delaware does allow children with a valid medical excuse or religious excuse to not get vaccinated.

Jim Talbot also said, “In Delaware we have a state law that your kids need to be age appropriate immunized before you start school."

It's no different in Maryland where students are also required to be up to date on vaccinations and they must provide a valid record within the first 20 days of school. 

Kelly Shockley a nurse at the Wicomico County Health Clinic said, “It’s important to get them vaccinated just because of the prevention of diseases the state does require kids going into fourth grade to take two doses of varicella or chicken pox which is a very dangerous disease."

In addition to the requirements for fourth graders, the state requires students entering 7th grade to have proof of the TDAP and Meningococcal vaccines.

You can get a detailed list of these requirements on Maryland's department of education website.