TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - School may be out for the summer, but now is the perfect time to update your child's immunizations for 2016-2017.
And parents, if your child is in the seventh or 12th grade, the vaccine requirements have changed.
Shannon Lands, Public Information Officer for the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department said, "For seventh grade, a new requirement is a dose of Tdap and then a dose of the Meningococcal vaccination. And then for 12th grade, there is an additional booster for the meningitis vaccine."
Students may be exempt from getting the booster their senior year if they received a vaccinated after their 16th birthday
According to Lands, these changes come as another way to protect the community and children from the spread of serious illnesses, complications, and even death.
"That's a good health practice especially from a public standpoint," she said. "I mean, if we know that these disease are out there and they're preventable, why not protect your child?"
Many districts have already alerted parents of the changes. The health department is also working to remind parents not to wait until the end of summer to make an appointment.
"(Make an appointment) whether it's in the summer, or a few weeks, or months before the school year starts so you're not waiting till the last minute. Then, 'oh shoot! you can't get an appointment, you're not able to be seen,' your child is then excluded from school," Lands said.
Check out the health department's program Shots for Tots and Teens for more information.
Schools are required to keep records of student immunizations.
