Valley doctor urging students be up to date on physicals and vaccines

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's time to ring in the new school year as students in Central California get back to that classroom routine and hit the books once again.

But they're not the only ones who have homework. Parents also have a health list to check off.

"Number one would be to get your kids in for their physicals and vaccinations," says Dr. Mitul Patel with Kaiser Permanente in Fresno.

Dr. Patel explains to parents that getting those physicals done right away is critical, especially for kids who want to play sports.

"You want to get them in so your physical form is done for the year," he said. "So when it's time to get them into sports, into practices, you're not in a mad rush to get in."

Parents should also check in with their doctors to see if their kids are up to date with their shots.

"During COVID we had some lockdowns, so people weren't coming in as often or frequently as they should for their physicals," Dr. Patel said. "Some people may have not realized they missed their vaccines. Initially, the first two years, we give a lot of vaccines to kids."

There are several shots that are required for students in grades TK through 12th.

"We've seen what happens when there's a lag in vaccination, specifically with measles, mumps, and rubella recently in the last few years," Dr. Patel said.

Dr. Patel also adds there are additional vaccines families will need to follow up on once their students reach 7th grade.

"It's when kids turn 11 years old, and that's the tetanus vaccine again, it's the HPV vaccine again and then the meningitis vaccine," he said.

Dr. Patel says while vaccines don't fully get rid of diseases, it gives us extra protection and is the easiest and safest way to prevent the spread of any sickness.

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