ST. LOUIS — Parents, are your kids up to date with their back-to-school shots? If not, you're not alone.
But, time could be ticking to catch up. More parents have fallen behind on their kid's shots since the pandemic.
Child immunization numbers dropped in 2021 and again in 2022, but health experts tell our newsroom it's crucial that parents catch up. There's a lot to know.
Each state has guidelines regarding minimum required vaccinations for public school students. Find Missouri requirements here, and see Illinois requirements here.
Ensuring your child keeps up with their regular visits to the pediatrician will help because they track all of the immunizations for you.
Because doctors' offices were overloaded, parents have fallen behind during and after the pandemic.
The COVID-19 vaccine isn't listed as a required vaccine. It isn't mandated for school attendance in Missouri or Illinois, but it is recommended.
One doctor said she's seeing more cases pop up.
"We continue to see waves of infection," said Dr. Rachel Orschein, professor of pediatrics with Washington University's Division of Infectious Diseases. "We're currently on an uptick now. It's part of the recommended schedule for children because it does reduce their risk of getting infected or having a serious outcome or passing it to other individuals."
The Missouri immunizations chart lists immunizations and boosters up to 12th grade. We asked which immunizations college students may want to get.
Orschein said, "... So one of those is the meningococcal vaccine. There's generally a booster dose … to help reduce the chances of that serious infection."
By the way, meningococcal meningitis can be deadly, and even if it's treated, it can still leave people with brain and nerve damage or limb amputations.