Name: OKM
4 x 9.8"
Customer Name: FREEMAN HEALTH SYSTEM
Ad Number: 092522NWR9641
www.freemanhealth.com/peds
SponSor Content
By Dr. Kelly Gorman,
Freeman Pediatrician
Parents want what's best for their
children – a good education, good
health and a bright future. Timely
vaccination throughout childhood is
essential to this endeavor. It helps
provide immunity before children are
exposed to potentially life-threatening
diseases, protecting them from harsh
medications and medical interventions
like antibiotics, hospital stays and
surgeries.
Vaccines are tested to ensure that they
are safe and effective for children to
receive at the recommended ages. In
fact, the vaccine schedule set forth by
the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) and followed by your Freeman
pediatrician is based on when your
child's immune system provides optimal
protection after vaccination. Vaccines
are also timed to give your child
protection at the ages when they are at
the highest risks of different diseases.
Each year, top disease experts evaluate
vaccination schedules and guidelines
against the most recent research. The
AAP, Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) and American Academy of
Family Physicians then review and
approve any recommended changes.
Your Freeman pediatrician stays
updated with any
changes, too. The
current vaccines that
school-aged children
should have include:
Preschool and
Elementary School
Years: Ages 4 – 10
✓ Flu vaccine: Every year
by the end of October, if
possible
✓ Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine: At
4 – 6 years
✓ Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis
(DTaP) vaccine: At 4 – 6 years
✓ Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
vaccine: At 4 – 6 years
✓ Polio (IPV) vaccine: At 4 – 6 years
Preteen and Teen Years: Ages 11 – 18
As your child heads to college, make
sure all vaccinations are up to date
and that your child has a copy of all
immunization records. If your child
travels outside of the United States,
check if they need any additional
vaccines.
✓ Flu vaccine: Every year by the end of
October, if possible
✓ Human papillomavirus (HPV)
vaccine: At 11 – 12 years and a
second dose 6-12 months following
the first dose
✓ Meningococcal conjugate vaccine: At
11 – 12 years and at 16 years
✓ Serogroup B meningococcal vaccine:
May be given at 16 – 23 years; if
interested, talk to your child's doctor
✓ Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis
(Tdap) vaccine: At 11 – 12 years
For more information about
vaccines and immunizations,
visit www.healthychildren.org
for American Association of
Pediatrics recommendations. Visit
www.freemanhealth.com/pediatrics
for more information about pediatric
services at Freeman Health System.
A Shot to Keep
Kids Healthy
8 • OctOber 2022 • www.OfficialKidsMag.com
