It’s that time of year again – back to school season. With the highly anticipated return to in person learning, health experts fear the lag in childhood vaccination rates could result in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not set vaccination requirements for schools, state immunization requirements for school children prevent the spread of serious diseases like polio, measles, tetanus, and whooping cough.
While it’s important for students to stay up to date with routine immunizations, it is also critical that adults’ educators receive their routine vaccines. As trustworthy role models, educators have a responsibility to model good immunization health.
Highlighting the Importance of Adult Immunization in Child Care and School Settings
There is often a focus on the importance of routine immunization for children, however adult routine immunizations are just as critical for immunity. Continued routine immunizations throughout adulthood are a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. Routine vaccines minimize potential sources of disease transmission between educators and children. In educational settings, young children are particularly vulnerable as they are just beginning to develop immunity to various illnesses. Thus, the significance behind vaccinations for teachers and caregivers in protecting children from vaccine preventable diseases. Following the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, teachers and caregivers should stay on schedule with all immunizations recommended for adults by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Although state immunization requirements for teachers and caregivers may vary, it is recommended that educators receive these vaccines:
· Tdap/Td
· Varicella-zoster
· MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella)
· Seasonal influenza
· Human papillomaviruses (HPV)
· Pneumococcal
· Hepatitis A
· Hepatitis B
· Meningococcal
School administrators, teachers and staff have an opportunity to strengthen vaccine confidence amongst students, families, and community members as role models. According to The Learning First Alliance, a partnership of leading education organizations, at least one in five children—may be ineligible to return to in-person learning due to missing vaccinations. Vaccine confidence is not only essential to vaccination uptake, but it is also the key to getting children caught up with missing vaccinations. By modeling good immunization health, educators can impart a message of trust on their students and families that vaccines are a safe and effective form of preventive care.
For the start of a healthy school year, routine immunizations shouldn’t just be a priority for students, but educators as well. Educators have an opportunity to set an example of good immunization health for their students and even encourage families to get their children the required vaccines for in-person learning.