ND Health Department urges vaccines

Talk about it

The North Dakota Department of Health is encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated now to avoid the back-to-school rush later this summer.

Children entering school should have five doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis), four doses of IPV (polio), three doses of HBV (hepatitis B), two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), and two doses of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine.

Middle school requirements include an immunization against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal disease (MCV4).

For newly admitted students who plan to live in on-campus housing at North Dakota colleges and universities beginning this fall, the vaccine that protects against meningococcal disease is required.

New North Dakota residents should bring their children’s immunization record from out-of-state when they go in for vaccinations, the health department said. Parents may obtain this record from the state health department in the state they previously lived in or their previous health care provider.

Children can be vaccinated at local public health units or private health care providers.

For more information: Call (800) 472-2180 or visit www.ndhealth.gov/immunize.

Tags: north dakota, updates, news, health, children, vaccines