By STEPHANIE BEECKEN
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - School starts in a couple of weeks for many local students, but health officials are reminding parents to get ready now or your kids may have to miss class.
Deandre Mincey was just one of many kids waiting at the Knox County Health Department Wednesday to get his back-to-school vaccinations. "I just hate getting them, but I know I have to," said the rising seventh grader.
According to the health department's immunization program Clinic Manager Mary Ann Harrison, all seventh graders are now required to have a couple vaccinations, including one to prevent pertussis, or whooping cough.
"The chicken pox vaccine and pertussis, it's often called TDP, it's a tetanus protection and pertussis protection, which is whooping cough protection," Harrison explained.
She says whopping cough can be fatal so to reduce the spread of the disease, all students entering the seventh grade have to be vaccinated.
"You'll have to have that certificate to start seventh grade. They won't let your child start without it," Harrison said.
Also, new students to Tennessee and those starting Kindergarten and seventh grade have to make sure the new certificate is on file. If the records aren't, the kids won't be able to start school on time.
"It's a very busy time. School starts August 14th for a majority of Knox County students and everybody always puts off things that should probably have been taken care of a couple months ago," Harrison said.
You can get immunizations and pick up records up at the health department, but Harrison says get there early because as the start of school gets closer, the wait gets longer.
For immunizations at the Knox County Health Department, officials recommend getting there as soon as it opens at 8:00 a.m. More information is posted on the department's website.
