ARKANSAS, USA — Fall is creeping around the corner, students are back in the classroom, and certain illnesses are becoming even more prevalent, highlighting the importance of Arkansas' state-mandated immunization requirements.
"This is what keeps our community safe from those big outbreaks that you hear of. You just don't hear of it very often and it's because of the hard work that we're doing every year by having these immunization deadlines," explains Fort Smith Lead Nurse Kelsey Ellis.
Different ages have different requirements. "We have kindergarten vaccines, which include polio, DTaP, MMR, and varicella," Ellis said. "At age 11, kids need to get a Tdap and then they get a meningococcal. Then at age 16, they go ahead and get that second meningococcal vaccine."
Those vaccines are shown to prevent common diseases spread through the community like measles, mumps, meningitis, and more. But every family has different ideals when it comes to vaccines. Ellis said each school year, up to five percent of families choose not to vaccinate their children.
"There's philosophical and religious exemptions that you can apply, and you can go to the Arkansas Health Department website and get those applications," Ellis added.
Whether you choose exemption or vaccination, all required documents must be submitted by Oct. 1.
"If they're unable to get an appointment before that date, they can bring to their school nurse an appointment card, and they're allowed to stay in school as long as they go ahead and get that immunization on the appointment date," Ellis said.
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