As a mother of three, I understand that the weeks leading up to
the school year are consumed with checklists and shopping trips.
School clothes, backpacks, pencils and college-ruled notebook
paper are just a few of the items that top these lists. One item
that’s at the top of my family’s checklist is immunizations. In
Maryland, children are required to have four doses of a
vaccination called DTaP prior to kindergarten. It protects
children against three serious illnesses: diphtheria, which can
lead to breathing problems, paralysis and death; pertussis or
whooping cough, which can lead to pneumonia, seizures and brain
damage; and tetanus or lockjaw, which prevents victims from
opening their mouths or swallowing and can lead to death. Other
required vaccinations for children enrolled in kindergarten
through 12th grade include: polio, varicella, hepatitis B,
measles, mumps and rubella. If you have questions or concerns
about vaccination safety and dosage, I encourage you to discuss
the topic with your physician