Catawba County News
Plan Your Well-Child Visits and Update Vaccinations During Summer Break
Published: June 22, 2026
PLAN YOUR WELL-CHILD VISITS, UPDATE VACCINATIONS DURING SUMMER BREAK
HICKORY – Summer is here and it’s a great time to get your child caught up on their well-child visits and school vaccinations. Planning your visits and vaccinations early helps your child return to school healthy and ready to learn.
North Carolina requires updated vaccinations for children and teens entering Kindergarten, 7th and 12th grade. Rising kindergartners and children entering public school in North Carolina for the first time should also have a health assessment completed by their child’s health care provider.
“Giving children their best start to the school year means keeping them healthy and present in the classroom, beginning on day 1,” said Catawba County School Health Supervisor Marianne Vogel. “When your child is caught up on their vaccines, they benefit from vaccine protection against diseases that can cause severe illness.”
When a child misses school from a preventable illness, they may fall behind on schoolwork, and parents and caregivers may have to miss work and lose wages to care for their child.
“It is very important that we all work to keep children in school to make sure they can get a good education and succeed in class,” said Vogel.
School nurses are available as a resource in each school across the county. For families who do not already have a primary health care provider, school nurses can help them find one or locate a vaccine provider.
“The health of our children is a high priority for us because a healthy child today means a healthy community in the future. We want to help families ensure that their children are growing and developing into healthy adults. That is why well-child visits with a health care provider are so important,” said Vogel.
Well-child visits help families identify concerns that require follow-up care and can include essential preventive services such as immunizations, developmental screening, and early oral health interventions.
In addition to most pediatricians and some primary care providers, Public Health can also provide routine vaccinations for children and teens, including those required for school. Appointments can be made by calling 828-695-5881.
Children who do not have insurance or whose insurance does not cover certain vaccines may be eligible for free immunizations through the state funded Vaccines for Children program. It is offered at many health care provider offices and at Public Health.
“Vaccination is the safest and most reliable way to protect children from preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough and meningitis. These diseases tend to spread in populations of children who are not vaccinated. By ensuring that everyone around them is vaccinated, we can provide a bubble of protection around the most vulnerable children, those who are too young or who have health conditions that prevent them from receiving vaccines,” said Elaine Yancey, Clinical Nursing Supervisor with Catawba County Public Health.
More information on vaccines for children and teens: Call Catawba County Public Health’s Immunizations Clinic at 828-695-5881.