Ask the doctor Dr. Mai Bui-Duy is a Medical Director at Central California Alliance for Health. She practiced internal medicine primary care in Santa Cruz County for seven years and has 15 years of experience in the medical field. You may be thinking, “Summer just started. Isn’t it too soon for a back-to-school checkup?” It can feel early, but this is the best time to schedule! Making appointments now helps you avoid the rush later in the summer. Appointments can fill up fast, especially for vaccines and sports physicals. Why are back-to-school checkups important? Back-to-school checkups are a chance to: ■ Ask questions and talk about your child’s growth, sleep, learning and behavior. ■ Find concerns early before the school year starts. ■ Make sure vaccines are up-to-date so your child can start school on time. Remember, checkups are offered at no cost to Alliance members. What your child can get at a back-to-school checkup: ■ A sports physical to be able to play in school sports. Contact your child’s school to see if they need a physical before starting sports. ■ The vaccines they need for the school year and updates for any missed doses. ■ A referral if they need dental or vision care. Why it’s time to schedule back-to-school checkups Tip: Bring your child’s vaccine record and any school forms to the checkup. Which vaccines does my child need for school? The schools in California check vaccine records for new students in transitional kindergarten (TK) or kindergarten through 12th grade and for students starting seventh grade. TK/kindergarten through 12th grade need: ■ DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis): 5 doses. ■ Polio: 4 doses. ■ Hepatitis B: 3 doses. ■ MMR (measles, mumps, rubella): 2 doses. ■ Chickenpox (varicella): 2 doses. Seventh grade entry needs: ■ Tdap booster: 1 dose (on or after the 7th birthday). Next step: Call your child’s doctor today to schedule a checkup and ask what vaccines your child needs to start school. Learn more at www.thealliance.health/vaccinesforschool. 2 Living Healthy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2MTU5NA==