With the new affordable health insurance plans since March 23rd 2010 , all preventive immunization are free, which will help families in West Los Angeles save money on health care.
As we begin the new school year, we would like to remind you that all students entering grades 7 through 12 are required to have a pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccine called Tdap.
“Tdap and other booster shots help keep children healthy and prevent outbreaks of serious illnesses,” said Jennifer Nuovo, M.D., senior medical director for Health Net of California. “The vaccinations for teenagers protect the youngest and the oldest by keeping these viruses away from babies and the elderly. And healthy children tend to do better in school and keep their own families healthy, too.”
In California, the new school-entry requirement for Tdap applies to all students – current, new and transfers – in both public and private schools. Exemptions apply for personal beliefs or medical reasons.
Are you up-to-date on all your children’s immunization in West Los Angeles ? The new health insurance plans cover all preventive immunizations. Check your children’s record and make sure to take advantage of this affordable health insurance measure.
Did you know that whooping cough has reached epidemic proportions in California. It is a highly contagious and serious disease. It causes severe coughing attacks and could lead to death. Many children with pertussis are kept out of school until the disease is treated. The Tdap vaccine helps prevent such outbreaks.
“The Tdap vaccine positively affects the entire community,” said Catherine Martin, executive director of the California Immunization Coalition. “It helps to reduce the rate of pertussis infection among adolescents and adults, which, in turn, helps to protect infants who are too young to have received their first vaccination, which helps safeguard the general public health.”
Here are some tips to share with you to help ensure that your children are protected from diseases:
- Keep a record of your child’s immunizations and the dates they were received. This record is essential for school entry. Ask your doctor for this record. Take it with you each time your child has an appointment. Keep your child’s record in a safe place.
- If you do not have a doctor, low-cost or free immunizations are administered at local county health departments.
- In addition to the Tdap booster vaccine, children under 18 years old need the following vaccines to help stay healthy and to gain admission into school: polio (called the IPV vaccine); diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (called the DTaP vaccine for children under 7); hepatitis B; measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); and varicella (Var). Exemptions apply for personal beliefs or medical reasons. Ask your doctor which vaccines are needed for each school level.
- Find a complete listing of recommended childhood immunizations online at National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease’s Instant Childhood Immunization Scheduler.
At Solid Health Insurance we believe that preventive health care is one of the most effective ways to reduce the overall cost of health care, and with that help us find you affordable health insurance in West Los Angeles.