Back-To-School Checkups are the Cornerstone of a Healthy School Year
7/20/2021
MILTON, Fla. – With homeschooling and hybrid learning disrupting classroom learning for the past 18 months, it's easy to forget what preparing for a “normal” school year might look like. In addition to buying new clothes and stocking your child’s backpack with the right supplies, an annual physical and the proper immunizations will start your child’s new school year on a healthy foundation.
“Annual wellness appointments allow a physician to monitor your child’s development from year to year,” says Veronica Holbrook, M.D., board-certified Family Medicine physician with Santa Rosa Medical Group (SRMG). “Patients shouldn’t only see us when they’re sick. It’s important to establish a baseline of information to make it easier to identify potential concerns. I see patients who are 5 years old and up.”
Children should receive an annual checkup with their doctor even if they are healthy. At a checkup, your child will receive a full physical exam including measurements such as height and weight. This is a good time for parents to discuss any developmental, emotional or social concerns with the physician. Most insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover a free annual well-child visit.
Immunizations are another important way to protect your child’s health. While COVID vaccinations are not yet available for children under the age of 12, there are numerous other vaccines parents should discuss with their child’s physician, especially for children beginning school for the first time.
Vaccine protection far outweighs the small risk of serious side effects. Without vaccines, many serious childhood diseases that are now considered rare can return and impact large numbers of the population. Click here for a “Birth through Age 18 Immunization Schedule” as recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians. SRMG works with the Florida Department of Health to provide children under the age of 18 with their immunizations.
“It is essential for children to receive the appropriate immunizations at the appropriate time, especially before beginning school,” says Dr. Holbrook. “These shots will protect your child in the long run.”
If your child or teenager is involved in sports or other physical activities, their coaches may require a sports physical before they begin to play. A sports exam is similar to an annual physical exam, with the addition of the physician’s review of sports-related matters such as nutrition and injuries. Santa Rosa Medical Group offers sports physicals for $35 at the walk-in clinics located in Milton and Navarre.
If you need help finding a primary care physician, visit SantaRosaMedicalGroup.com to be connected with one of Santa Rosa Medical Group’s qualified family medicine or specialty physicians.
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