By Monica Soni, MD | Covered California Chief Medical Officer
The summer before I started medical school, I learned something surprising about my own health history. As part of the enrollment process, I had to provide immunization records and blood tests showing immunity. That’s when I discovered I did not have all my childhood vaccinations. I had always assumed I was fully vaccinated, and weeks before beginning my medical training, I was catching up on vaccines I thought I had received years earlier.
Looking back, I wonder what influenced my mother when she was making those decisions. What concerns went unanswered? As both a physician and a parent now, I understand that families need clear information, trusted guidance, and the opportunity to ask questions before making important health decisions for their children.
Between school supplies, afterschool schedules, and everything else that comes with a new school year, I encourage families to check your child’s immunization record, schedule a well-child visit if needed, and ask questions.
Which vaccines does my child need? What are the side effects? What happens if we wait? How do you know they are safe?
As a physician, I welcome that conversation because listening is part of good health care. Trust cannot be assumed. It must be built through relationships, respect, and access to clear information.
With changing federal vaccine guidance, it is understandable that parents have questions. I want California families to know that California’s school and child-care vaccine requirements have not changed. Vaccines remain an important part of keeping our children healthy.
Here are common vaccines recommended for school-aged children and their protection:
DTaP: Protects children against three serious diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (also known as whooping cough). Immunity against these diseases decreases over time, so a booster shot is recommended every 10 years.
MMR: Protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, which can all cause serious illness. This vaccine can keep your child from missing out on school or childcare, and you from missing work to care for a sick child.
Polio: Polio causes a serious disease which may lead to muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis, including impacting the muscles that help us breathe. Children should get four doses of the vaccine for full protection.
Varicella: Protects against the virus that leads to chickenpox. Two doses of the vaccine are typically effective at preventing chickenpox.
Meningococcal: Protects against bacterial infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis, including meningitis. The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all preteens and teens, as well as other children and adults at increased risk.
Hepatitis B: Protects against Hepatitis B, a contagious liver disease that may lead to serious complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. Studies show that Hepatitis immunity lasts for at least 30 years among healthy people who started vaccination at less than 6 months of age.
HPV: Prevents 90 percent of cancers caused by human papillomavirus in both boys and girls, recommended by pediatricians for children starting at age 9.
All routine childhood vaccines continue to be available at no cost to families, whether they have insurance or not, through programs such as Vaccines for Children. Families can also find vaccine locations and access their child’s digital vaccine record through My Turn.
Staying up to date on vaccines helps children stay healthy and protects their classmates, teachers, and others in our communities who may be more vulnerable to serious illness.
My family and Black families across California make preventive health care decisions for our children every day. Nothing matters more to me than seeing my children and every child grow, learn, and become healthy adults with every opportunity ahead of them.
Dr. Monica Soni, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer for Covered California, where she leads efforts in health equity, quality transformation, and clinical innovation. As a board-certified internal medicine physician and health care leader with over a decade of experience, Dr. Soni is committed to improving affordability, access, and health outcomes for all Californians.