During the summer, parents purchase numerous school supplies to prepare their children for the new school year. Dr. J. Abraham Rodriguez with Highland Physicians Pediatrics Clinic encourages parents to add a visit to the doctor to their back-to-school list.

In Mississippi, students are required to stay up-to-date on vaccinations for their age groups in order to attend school, according to a press release from the Mississippi State Department of Health.

“Vaccinations are tremendous for avoiding diseases and providing antibodies to protect you from exposure,” Rodriquez said.

He also said children entering school for the first time are required to get two vaccinations, which include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio (Kinrix vaccine); and measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (ProQuad vaccine).

The back-to-school vaccinations have extremely mild side effects, including slight fevers and soreness on the sight of the injection, Rodriquez said.

He encourages parents to pay a visit to their doctor in order to determine which shots their child needs based on their age.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which promotes the importance of being vaccinated against preventable diseases. The center offers resources for local outreach and educational efforts during August and all year long, which can be found on their website at  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html.

“The back-to-school rush is our busiest immunization effort each year. It’s great to see children receiving required vaccinations, and we remind parents that the best protection is having their children immunized on time,” MSDH state epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a press release.

Check with a local physician or county health department to get more information on immunization requirements or visit

HealthyMS.com/immunizations.