Adding immunizations to your child’s back-to-school list is an important step to help keep him or her healthy throughout the school year. The state of Florida also requires certain vaccines to be administered before children can attend day care and school.

“The likelihood of coming into contact with certain diseases increases for children in daycare and school,” said Molly Posa, M.D., UF College of Medicine assistant professor of pediatrics. “It’s important for children to receive the recommended immunizations prior to this increased risk.”

Some immunizations can be administered after birth and then primary vaccines are provided at well-child visits for kids age 2 to 18 months. Booster vaccines administered at age 4 ensure children in day care and preschool are protected from diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, polio and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis. The next round of immunizations, including Tdap, Menactra and Gardasil, occurs at age 11 and provides protection against tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, Neisseria meningitidis and human papillomavirus (HPV).

UF Health Pediatrics primary care locations offer immunization services during well-child visits, and many times siblings can be vaccinated during the same appointment.

Not sure which immunizations your child has already received?

If your family is new to the area, but your child was previously immunized in the state of Florida, staff at our pediatric outpatient practices can access records through the Florida Shots database. UF Health physicians can then administer the vaccines that are needed. If your child hasn’t received immunizations in the state before, just bring his or her immunization record to your appointment and your doctor can determine if vaccines are needed and can enter their information into the database for future reference.

After the immunization appointment, you will receive an updated immunization record to submit to your child’s school.

The yearly influenza vaccine, while not required for school admittance, is also highly recommended by UF Health pediatricians. UF Health Pediatrics primary care locations usually receive the flu vaccines in August or September.

Call today to schedule your child’s back-to-school immunization appointment at one of our convenient UF Health Pediatrics locations.

Gerold L. Schiebler CMS Center
1701 SW 16th Ave., Building A
352-334-0206

Magnolia Parke
4740 NW 39th Place, Suite B
352-594-7337

Tower Square
7046 SW Archer Road
352-733-1770