With school about to get back underway in West Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health is reminding parents to add 'immunizations' to their checklist. In Tennessee, children enrolling in school for the first time, and all children going into the 7th grade are required to provide a Tennessee immunization certificate. Most insurance plans, Tenncare included, covers these state-required vaccines. Lots of Tennessee teens missed getting a second dose of chickenpox vaccine, or their diphtheria, pertussis, or tetanus booster shots. These are now required for 7th graders. The Tennessee Department of Health recommends you contact your child's primary physician to determine if they have all of the required immunizations. If your child is uninsured, local health departments have vaccines available. You should also be aware that while certain vaccines are 'recommended', they are not required for pre-teens and teens. For example, there is a recommended vaccine against specific types of meningitis, and there is the HPV vaccine which allegedly helps prevent cervical cancer in women & other cancers in men. For a complete list of Tennessee Child Care & School Immunization requirements, click here. If you have a question about your school policies and specific dates regarding when certificates must be proviced, contact your local school.
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