Before your child heads back to school in August, take the time now to make sure the entire family is up-to-date on shots and screenings. Ask your doctor about the following:

Immunizations (shots)

Immunizations protect you and your family from getting and spreading serious diseases. Ask your doctor if you and your family are up-to-date on these shots:

• Influenza – helps protect against the flu.
• Hepatitis B – protects against a liver disease that could be deadly.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) – protects against HPV, a very common virus spread through sexual contact. Some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) – protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
• Pneumococcal – protects against pneumococcal pneumonia, a lung infection that can be deadly.
• Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster – protects against diphtheria, a bacterial infection that can be deadly; lockjaw, a jaw disorder; and whooping cough.
• Varicella – protects against chickenpox, which can be deadly in adults.

Lead poisoning screening

Testing for lead poisoning is important since kids with lead poisoning may not look or act sick. Only a simple blood test can tell for sure. You can get a $10 prepaid Visa card just for having a free lead poisoning test. Simply schedule the test with your child’s doctor and go to the appointment before your child’s second birthday, and we’ll mail you a $10 prepaid Visa gift card.

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