Does my child need vaccinated before going back to school in Pennsylvania?

(WTAJ) — Along with a new backpack, some highlighters and a water bottle, some students have one more item on their back-to-school checklist — vaccinations.

Dr. Stacey Cummings, Vice Chair of outpatient Pediatric Services at Geisinger, stressed the importance of vaccinating students to allow all kids to safely attend school. She said vaccination works based on herd immunity, meaning that when those that can get vaccinated do, more vulnerable members of the population who cannot get vaccinated are still protected.

"So the folks that come to mind are like kids undergoing cancer therapy but still want to be able to attend school," Cummings said. "They are not candidates for many of the vaccines that would help to keep them healthy. But if their classmates have gotten that vaccine, one, their classmates won't get that disease, but they also won't be able to have that child potentially get sick either."

The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires students entering kindergarten to have:

• Four doses of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (one dose on or after the fourth birthday).
• Four doses of polio (fourth dose on or after fourth birthday and at least six months after previous dose given).
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