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Jonathan Shupe, M.D.,
Kootenai Clinic Family
Medicine Coeur d’Alene
Residency
Q
What immunizations are
important for my kids to
have before they start
school this fall?
As a medical community, it is not only
our duty to care for individual patients,
but also to focus on the greater good of
a community and address its public health
needs. Nothing exemplifies this more
than the promotion of immunizations.
While individuals benefit from the
protection provided by singular immuni-
zations, oftentimes the larger benefit
comes from what is termed “herd
immunity.” This term refers to the
protective effect one garners from being
a member of a well-immunized commu-
nity, whether vaccinated or not. For
example, our community provides
newborns and infants herd immunity
during their susceptible early years prior
to their first shots. Additionally, there
are a small number of children who
are unable to receive immunizations
because of allergy or poor immune
response, and they are also protected
when the “herd” is immunized.
This is the foundation for the Idaho
Immunization Program (IIP) and the
immunization requirements prior to
starting kindergarten. Although the IIP
only specifies certain immunizations
that are required (these are listed at
healthandwelfare.idaho.gov
), I would
argue that all of the immunizations
recommended by Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices
schedule are important before starting
school, and all have substantial evi-
dence supporting their benefit.
Some immunizations prevent severe
illness and death, whereas others
reduce medical costs and strain on our
burgeoning medical system. Further,
others reduce lost wages for parents and
ensure that our children are not missing
critical school time while being sick at
home. Therefore, to specifically address
the question of which immunizations
are most important prior to starting
school, the most accurate answer is,
all of them.
G E T Y O U R
S H O T S
For more
information about required
immunizations, visit
healthandwelfare.idaho.gov
and for CDC-recommended
vaccinations, visit
cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules
.
KH . ORG
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