Health & Fitness: Understanding ways to keep kids healthy this school year

By LaTINA EMERSON, Health & Fitness 

Local kids are heading back to school, and it’s important to keep them healthy so they can thrive in their classes and activities. 

While maintaining good health has become more challenging during the pandemic, parents and caregivers can help kids stay well by making sure they’ve received required immunizations and health screenings and teaching children how to protect themselves from infectious diseases. 

Here are some tips from District 4 of the Georgia Department of Public Health on how to keep kids healthy this school year:

REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS AND HEALTH SCREENINGS

Parents and caregivers are urged not to delay in getting their children’s required immunizations and health screenings for the new school year.

Q: Are immunizations required for all children to attend school in Georgia?

A: State law requires children attending a nursery, childcare, pre-kindergarten, Head Start program, or private or public school (kindergarten to 12th grade) to have three key documents on file when enrolling in a Georgia school for the first time: the Georgia Immunization Certificate (Form 3231); the Georgia Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutrition Screening (Form 3300); and a certified birth certificate. 

State law also requires special immunizations for rising seventh and 11th graders along with an updated form 3231.

Q: Which immunizations are required?

A: The health department or your pediatrician can offer more information about the specific immunizations your child needs and provide the forms required by schools. 

Children born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, who are 1) attending seventh grade or 2) “first-time” students enrolling in Georgia schools in grades 8 through 12, must have received one dose of Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal vaccine. (“First-time” students are children entering any school in Georgia for the first time or entering after having been absent from a Georgia school for more than 12 months or one school year.)

Effective July 1, 2021, children 16 years of age and older who are entering the 11th grade (including “first-time” students) must have received one booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 16th birthday. MCV4 helps prevent meningococcal disease, a bacterial infection that can be very dangerous.

Q: What should parents and caregivers do if their child received immunizations in another state?

A: If children have received vaccines in another state, parents and caregivers will need to bring proper documentation from that state to the health department or physician’s office. Older students who are attending school in Georgia for the first time (or who have been absent from a Georgia school for more than 12 months or one school year) are also considered “first-time” students. 

Q: How do I find more information about the required forms for immunizations?

A: For more information about required school forms, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/schoolvaccines or https://www.gadoe.org/wholechild/Pages/immunization.aspx.

Q: What other vaccines are available to children?

A: Health departments offer the HPV vaccine, which is recommended for both girls and boys at ages 11 to 12 to protect against cancers and other diseases caused by human papillomavirus.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccines for people six months and older and boosters for individuals 5 years and older, if eligible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children aged six months through 17 years old. Local health departments offer the COVID-19 vaccine for children. Visit http://vaccines.org to find additional locations. 

For more information about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and teens, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Q: How do I get a copy of my child’s birth certificate?

A: In Coweta County, the Coweta County Probate Court’s office at 200 Court Square in Newnan can provide a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate, if your child was born in any county in Georgia. To request a certificate by mail or to order one online, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/ways-request-vital-record.

PROTECTING KIDS FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Q: How can students and school staff protect themselves from infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and flu?

A: The CDC offers guidance on how to protect yourself and others from getting the flu. These tips can also be applied to protecting against COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Keep your distance from others when you are ill.

• When possible, stay home from work, school and running errands when you are sick to prevent the spread of illness.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing to prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu spreads mainly by droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk.

• Wash your hands often to help protect you from germs. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Encourage children to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can spread when people touch something that is contaminated and then touch their face.

• Develop good health habits, such as cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, particularly when someone is ill. People of all ages should get plenty of sleep, exercise, manage their stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

Q: What are more ways to protect against COVID-19 in school?

A: The CDC provides some safety tips to prevent illness from COVID-19:

• Get a COVID-19 vaccine for all family members ages six months and older. This can help children to stay in school and more safely participate in sports and other group activities.

• Wear face masks. Though school policies may vary regarding face masks, whether or not you’re vaccinated, the CDC recommends wearing a face mask in indoor public spaces if you’re in a community with a high number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. If your child wears a face mask in school, consider these tips:
  • Have your child wear the most protective mask possible that fits well and is comfortable.
  • Provide your child with a clean mask and a backup mask each day. Give your child a clean, resealable bag to store the mask during lunch.
  • Label your child’s mask so it’s not confused with other children’s masks. Tell your child to never wear another child’s used mask.

• Practice safe distancing. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay at least six feet away from people if you’re in indoor public places and aren’t up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.