Wolf encourages Pennsylvanians To Make Immunization Part Of Back-to-school Planning

Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania departments of Education, Health, Human Services and Insurance are reminding families to ensure their children's immunizations are up to date as part of backto-school preparations.

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as chicken pox, meningitis, measles, whooping cough, and others are still seen across the commonwealth. Keeping children up to date on vaccinations is the best way to keep them healthy and reduce unnecessary absences from school. Staying up to date with immunizations provides the best protection against disease and is essential to individual and population health.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans, including those bought through Pennie®, as well as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid, are required to cover school vaccinations as a free preventive service without charging a copayment or coinsurance.

"As students head back to school this year, parents no doubt have many decisions and concerns to consider," said Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. "Thankfully, the cost of school vaccinations isn't one of them, as most insurance plans cover required immunizations with no cost to the consumer."

These immunizations are covered regardless of whether or not the yearly deductible has been met. However, it is important to make sure that the doctor or provider who administers the immunization is within your health insurance plan's network, or you may be responsible for the cost.

Immunization-preventable diseases can be very dangerous, may require hospitalization, and can even result in death. A discussion with your doctor or your child's doctor can help determine which vaccines are needed.

"Getting vaccinated and staying up to date is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to prevent disease," said Acting Secretary of Health and Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson. "Vaccines help protect everyone, including people with compromised immune systems who cannot get vaccinated. It is essential that everyone, especially children, are up-to-date on all recommended immunizations before heading back to school.”

In recent years, a change in state regulations altered the provisional period in which students could attend school without their vaccinations from eight months to five days. Children in grades K-12 need the following immunizations for attendance: tetanus, diphtheria, polio, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), hepatitis B, and chickenpox. Children entering the seventh grade also need additional immunizations of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) and tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap). If a child does not have at least one dose of the above immunizations, they risk exclusion from school. Additionally, while the COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory to attend school, the Wolf Administration

encourages documents can print Pennsylvanians ages from the website or request 5 and older to get the an application COVID-19 vaccine to by phone at 1-800-6927462 help ensure their safety and mail it to their during the 2022-2023 local County Assistance school year. Office (Cao).opens In

Health coverage is A New Window Families available for all children do not need to know in Pennsylvania. their own eligibility in No family makes too order to apply. much money to purchase "Students and educators coverage through are preparing for CHIP, and families or the beginning of a new children may qualify school year and opportunities for coverage through to teach, learn, Medical Assistance. and grow together in CHIP and Medicaid can classrooms across the ensure parents can access commonwealth," said affordable health Acting Secretary Eric coverage and care for Hagarty. "As part of their children. Immunizations back-to-school preparations, and well-child I encourage families visits necessary to help to ensure their children's kids stay healthy are immunizations covered through both of are up to date." these programs. Anyone looking to

"As a parent, I want visit a local immunization to do everything I can clinic to receive to protect my kids and vaccinations should call keep them safe. By vaccinating 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1877-724-3258) my kids, I am to schedule sending them off to an appointment. school this fall knowing Pennsylvanians should that they are as protected have their vaccination as possible from preventable records available when diseases, and I they call to make an appointment. encourage other parents A parent or to do the same," said legal guardian must accompany Acting DHS Secretary a child receiving Meg Snead. "DHS administers immunizations. programs like The Centers for Disease Medical Assistance and Control and Prevention CHIP so that families recognizes and children don't have August as National Immunization to go without health Awareness care coverage, including Month (NIAM). This annual important and potentially observance highlights life-saving vaccinations." the importance of getting recommended

More information on vaccines. Whether children CHIP can be found at are homeschooled https://urldefense.com/ or attend a public, private, v3/__http://www.chipcoverspakids.com. charter or religious Families school, state laws can apply for coverage require they stay up to through the CHIP date for certain vaccinations program and determine based on their age, their eligibility for as recommended by the Medical Assistance and CDC. other public assistance Additional information programs online athttps://urldefense.com/ on immunizations can be found on the v3/__http://www.compass.state.pa.us. Pennsylvania Department Those of Health's website who prefer to submit paper at health.pa.gov.