With school starting and new state requirements on vaccinations, parents are catching up to get their children’s immune systems ready for school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national health organizations are encouraging more immunization booster shots from child to adulthood.
"What’s new is vaccinations being given to kids who are 10, 12, or 15. And these are often booster shots from the ones that they got to get into kindergarten. So, we can boost up their immunity to those diseases, like whooping cough or chicken pox in particular," says Dr. Michael Pichichero, pediatrician and director of research at the Rochester General Hospital Research Institute.
The Monroe County Immunization Clinic has expanded its hours to keep up with high start-of-the-school-year demand.
"This is always a busy time for us. In the days leading up to school and just there after the start of school, we typically see quite a few parents in here trying to make sure that their kids are completely up to date on their immunizations," says John Ricci, spokesperson for the county health department.
More information about immunization clinics can be found on the Monroe County website.