What Florida parents need to know about vaccines and their kids before school starts.

After a year of lockdowns and virtual learning, some children fell behind on required vaccines.

Now as students head back to school for in-person learning, mandatory vaccinations will resume and children will need to catch up.

“There’s going to be a lot of scrambling to get kids vaccinated,” said Dr. Lisa Gwynn, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician with the University of Miami Health System.

Florida pediatricians and family doctors say they already are busy with well-child checkups and expect a back-to-school crush of annual exams. Don’t wait until the last minute, they say.

You will want to ask which vaccines your child needs and how many doses, as well as whether catching up will require multiple appointments.

COVID-19

This year, parents have much more to consider: Do you want your teen vaccinated for COVID19? Anyone 12 or older is eligible and many parents are choosing to get teens vaccinated regardless of whether they already had the virus.

Timing will be important for full protection by the start of school. Teens will need three weeks between the two shots and two additional weeks after the

second dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

If you want to give your teen a COVID vaccine at the same time as another type of shot, the CDC says you don’t have to wait two weeks in between as the agency originally recommended.

Not all pediatric practices in Florida have the vaccine but more are getting them. “I think eventually the COVID vaccine will become part of what we give on regular basis,” Gwynn said.

You don’t want to wait until the day before school starts because your teen could have a reaction. In Pfizer trials, children had side effects similar to adults — pain at the injection site, fever, chills and fatigue, particularly after the second dose.

Pediatricians like Gwynn said many teens want the COVID-19 vaccine to return to normal life, but in Florida they must have parental consent to get the injection. “Vaccinating children in this age group can open opportunities for them to play team sports and, participate in group activities without concern that they will get COVID or give it to others,” she said.

Dr. Alana Ginsburg of Pediatric Associates in Hollywood says she feels confident in the COVID vaccine’s safety, has given it to her two teen daughters and has been recommending it for her patients. “With school approaching, this is an opportunity to have your child protected,” she said.

Younger children may eventually be eligible, too, but not likely for this school year.

Required vaccines

What shots are your child missing?

To start or transfer into a Florida school, your child must have certain vaccines: Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular Pertussis (DTAP), Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Measlesmumps-rubella (MMR), Varicella (chickenpox), Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (HIB), Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13) and Hepatitis B (HEP B).

By middle school, anyone entering or transferring to seventh grade in Florida must have a tetanus booster. Preteens should also get their first meningitis vaccine and are recommended to get the HPV vaccine series, which protects against certain types of cancer.

To enter a Florida college and reside on campus all students must get a meningitis and hepatitis B vaccine or submit a waiver.

If your child missed a vaccine during the pandemic, they can still catch up.

Multiple shots can be given during the same visit, says Ginsburg of Pediatric Associates in Hollywood. “Pediatricians are prepared to offer guidance to help parents feel comfortable.”

New laws

This school year, a new law takes effect. When your child gets vaccinated, the provider must report it into the statewide immunization registry known as Florida SHOTS. Any school or daycare facility can access the registry to see your child’s vaccine history.

Busy parents who like to get their flu shots at pharmacy clinics can now bring their children with them. Pharmacistscannowgiveflu shots to children 7 and older under a new Florida law.

Free shots

As in previous years, South Florida health and community agencies are providing a variety of public education and free immunization programs to children and young adults. Visit VaccinateBroward. com or FloridaHealth.gov.