UHS pediatricians share tips for back-to-school readiness

Summer break is here, and before you know it, back-to-school season will be right around the corner. Now’s the perfect time to beat the rush: schedule your child’s back-to-school physical today!

While summer can be a busy time for families, it also provides a good opportunity to schedule a check-up and update your child’s immunizations before school resumes in the fall. Booking early can ensure a convenient appointment with your child’s provider.

Mary DeGuardi, MD of UHS Pediatrics and Primary Care emphasizes the importance of planning ahead: “While flu season in the fall can be extremely busy, the summer back-to-school rush requires special planning to ensure we have the capacity to meet every family’s needs. This is why we strongly encourage parents to book appointments early, ensuring all necessary health requirements are met before the school year commences.”

Well-child visits with your child’s primary care provider are essential. These appointments help build a strong medical history and provider relationship, detect early signs of health issues and address any developmental, safety or wellness concerns. They also provide an opportunity for administering needed tests, screenings and immunizations. For adolescents, visits often include important discussions about sexual health, mental health and substance use. 

While a check-up may include clearance for sports participation, a sports physical alone is not a substitute for a comprehensive check-up. Even if your child received a sports physical at school or a retail clinic before their athletic season started, it’s still important to schedule their annual well visit. 

Parents should also keep in mind that schools require certain vaccinations for entry in the fall - particularly for children ages 4,10, 11 and 16. These vaccines include Diphtheria and Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Polio and more.

UHS pediatricians and primary care physicians emphasize that generations of American children have safely received routine childhood immunizations, starting with the whooping cough vaccine in 1914. Over the decades, other vaccines were added to the list – including those for pneumococcal disease and chicken pox in the 1990’s. It’s important to remember vaccines not only protect your child’s health–they also contribute to herd immunity, protecting immunocompromised individuals in our families, neighborhoods, schools and communities. 

Your child may be healthy now, but declining a vaccine could leave them vulnerable later.  You never know when your child might be the one who needs the protection of a fully vaccinated community. 

Every year, childhood vaccinations prevent an estimated four million deaths worldwide.   By 2030, measles vaccines are projected to save nearly 19 million lives and hepatitis B vaccines could save 14 million lives.  Lack of access to vaccines puts children at risk of death, disability and illness from preventable diseases.  Today, there are more than 25 safe and effective vaccines to prevent diseases, protect health throughout one’s lifespan, and help to prevent and mitigate outbreaks.

You can find the recommended immunization schedule on the UHS website, by clicking here. The site also provides helpful guidance on scheduling check-ups and staying on track with immunizations in a safe and effective way.

If you are looking for a primary care provider, use the “Find a Provider” tool at nyuhs.org to choose a pediatric or family medicine provider at a UHS Primary Care location near you.