Back-to-school checklist – paper, pencils, binders ... immunizations

Four-year-old Sofie Reschak got her booster shots Friday in preparation of the start of pre-kindergarten.

This was just one more task her mother, Lauren Reschak of Crystal Lake, had on Sofie’s back-to school prep list.

“She did great,” said Reschak, who is a strong believer that vaccinations and their boosters are an important part of back-to-school routines to protect Sofie, as well as her three other daughters, from preventable diseases. This routine includes having her children vaccinated with the newly approved vaccines to protect them – and all children as young as 6 months – from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccination is especially important now in light of McHenry County Department of Health officials last week announcing levels of the virus have shifted from medium to high.

“Vaccines protect Sofie from any kind of virus she might encounter and makes sure she can live a healthy life,” said Reschak, who is married to pediatrician Dr. Gary Reschak of Northwestern Medicine in the Fox Valley office in Crystal Lake, where Sofie received her boosters Friday.

“The most important reason to get immunized is to protect children from vaccine-preventable illnesses,” Dr. Reschak said.

It important is that children get boosters required for kindergarten and sixth grade.

On Friday, Sofie received ProQuad, a combination vaccine booster including the MMRV booster to protect her from mumps, measles and rubella with the addition of a vaccination to protect her from varicella, better known as chickenpox. Her second shot was Quadracil, a booster vaccination combining vaccines for DTaP, which prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; and IPV, which prevents polio.

“Stay on top of these boosters,” Dr. Reschak said. “They are important because, over time, immunity wanes. If you follow the proper [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]-recommended guidelines, you could have lifelong immunity.”

For example, today, unlike 30 years ago, there is a vaccine that Sofie received that gives lifelong prevention from chickenpox.

Generations back, no one was vaccinated for chickenpox, and many suffered. Then, within the past 20 years, children started being vaccinated for what once was a common and highly contagious disease that now is almost nonexistent, Dr. Reschak said.

However, without the second booster for chickenpox – as well as any of the other eradicated diseases – the risk exists to contract the bacterial disease, which, as people get older, potentially could have serious side effects.

“With the booster, you are considered immune for life,” he said. “But if you don’t finish the whole series, you are not fully immunized; you are somewhat resistant.”

The doctor said he has seen two cases in which a person was not fully protected against chickenpox and suffered.

One case involved a child of about 15 who was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. That made him very susceptible to attracting any type of infection. He suffered with a serious case of chickenpox.

In another case, Dr. Reschak saw a baby born with chickenpox whose mother was an immigrant and had not been vaccinated against the disease and contracted it in her last month of pregnancy.

“[Chickenpox] can be very serious if contracted as an adult,” he said. “Even though it is generally benign, 10% of those who contract it can have serious complications. [They can have] a super full-body infection with sores all over allowing bacteria to get in.

“That’s 1 out of 10 cases ... a fairly decent figure of the population. But getting vaccinations really eliminates these types of diseases from society.”

Measles is another eradicated disease that seems to show up in pockets occasionally among communities that have low vaccination rates, Reschak said.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, almost everyone born before 1957, before worldwide immunization for measles, already has had it. Currently, measles typically is seen in preschool-age children who have not had their measles vaccine or in school-age children and young adults who have had only one dose of a measles vaccine.

In response to the measles vaccinations, cases in the U.S., Canada and other countries have dropped by 99%. However, there was a marked increase in measles cases in the U.S. from 1989 to 1991. Most of those cases occurred in children who were not vaccinated, according to the IDPH.

The McHenry County Department of Health reminded parents this week to add vaccinations and their boosters to back-to-school to-do lists, including vaccines for COVID-19.

Sofie got her first COVID-19 vaccination about three weeks ago. Her mother said that for about 24 hours after the shot Sofie had a low fever and was fatigued. Other than that, she was fine. She gets her booster in a few weeks, her mother said.

“It is important for individuals to stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations to protect their communities,” said Susan Karras, nursing director at the McHenry County health department. “It is not just about the individual’s health but the public’s health [in what is known as herd immunity]. The more people that are vaccinated against a specific vaccine-preventable disease, the greater success in reducing the transmission [and preventing outbreaks] of that particular disease within the population.”

Vaccination protects students, teachers and staff from diseases and keeps them healthy and in school for optimal learning. Vaccines are safe and one of the greatest successes in saving lives and protecting against complications from serious diseases, McHenry County health officials said.

“Through the use of vaccines, smallpox has been eliminated, and the devastating effects of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, tetanus and polio have been dramatically reduced,” said Lindsey Salvatelli, community coordination director for the local health department. “Unfortunately, outbreaks in communities with low vaccination rates have occurred, resulting in preventable diseases continuing to exist and causing countless and needless hospitalizations and deaths each year.”

Illinois preschools and K-12 schools require particular vaccinations for all students. Some diseases require more than one dose. Information on the required vaccinations can be found by visiting the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website.

Vaccinations for COVID-19 and human papillomavirus are not required for school but are highly encouraged by the county heath department, Salvatelli said.

The HPV vaccine is approved for children ages 11 and 12. This vaccine is said to protect against early exposure to the virus that can result in several types of cancers later in life, Salvatelli said.

The county offers all vaccines required for Illinois schools and those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reduced-price or free vaccines for children are available.

More information on eligibility is available at MCDH Clinics. To schedule an immunization appointment with the local health department, call 815-334-4500. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, schedule online or visit bit.ly/MCDHCOVIDVaxLoc to find clinic times and locations for walk-in vaccination availability.