Lori Handy, MD on importance of vaccine catch-up before the school year

As families prepare for the start of a new school year, ensuring children are up to date on routine vaccinations remains a key public health priority, according to Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, associate director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Handy explained that the link between vaccines and the school calendar dates back to early immunization programs targeting highly contagious childhood diseases such as measles and polio. These infections were known to spread rapidly among young school-aged children, often encountering their first exposures in classrooms.

“There was a way to link prevention to the age group that needed it the most, at the time they needed it the most, right when they were about to enter a crowded setting,” said Handy.

Requiring vaccines prior to school entry allowed public health officials to strategically deliver protection at a time of heightened risk. But Handy said it also served another, often overlooked function: creating a universal checkpoint for children who may have had missed or inconsistent access to care.

“For children who might have had intermittent medical care or missed opportunities for medical care, turning 5 [years old] became this moment to ensure that all children in the country are receiving the preventative measures they need,” she said. “It was a nice pause for all children to say, let’s look back: have you missed anything? Do we need to catch you up?”

Handy emphasized the ongoing relevance of this system, particularly in households juggling the demands of multiple children or busy schedules that can result in missed appointments.

“Parents may not realize they missed that 4-year-old visit. Maybe they have 3 or 4 kids, and it is hard to keep track of all the well care their children need,” Handy said. “So, it is a great time to pause and make sure children are protected and ready to enter a crowded setting where they can learn and not contract a new infection.”

By treating the back-to-school period as a built-in reminder to review vaccination records, Handy said providers and parents alike can help ensure children start the academic year protected, prepared, and positioned to thrive.