Vaccinations required for Mid-Missouri students before returning to school

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

MU Health Care officials remind parents across Mid-Missouri to vaccinate their students before their return to the classroom.

Dr. Christopher Wilhelm spoke about the importance of pediatric vaccinations. He said vaccines can help prevent the spread of illnesses.

"Improve the lives of children by not only preventing disease but also preventing death in some of them," said Dr. Wilhem. "Getting these vaccines is very important."

This comes as COVID-19 community levels remain in the "medium" category for many Mid-Missouri communities, according to the latest statewide data.

Those counties include:

• Boone
• Camden
• Howard
• Morgan
• Phelps

Dr. Wilhelm said it's important to vaccinate your children following summer vacations.

“What happens is during the summer everybody leaves. They go visit family, they go down to the lake, they go to Florida, wherever. Then we bring all these kids back together so all those diseases and germs they picked up across the country they bring them back, then we put them in a school,” said Dr. Wilhelm.

There are opportunities in Columbia to get children vaccinated Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, vaccinations against COVID-19 will be given out at the MU Health Care Pavilion on Ash Street from 2 until 6 p.m. An appointment isn't requested.

Health care workers will also give COVID-19 vaccines at the Columbia/Boone County health department from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patients are required to have an appointment. Anyone that wants to get vaccinated can schedule an appointment through the city's website.

The vaccinations at both events are free.

Additional vaccinations are also required for parents to register their kids in school. There are two statewide requirements, including the meningococcal vaccine for students in eighth grade or higher.

Missouri also requires the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine for all incoming eighth graders. Each school district may also have its own requirements, such as Columbia Public Schools, which requires eight vaccines including:

• Polio
• DTP
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella (MMR)
• Hepatitis B
• Meningitis
• Chicken Pox

Parents can find a pediatric vaccination schedule on MU Health Care's website.