The state Department of Health is encouraging parents of students who will be entering seventh grade this coming school year to schedule a “well-child visit” as soon as possible.
Children undergo significant physical, emotional and social change as they approach adolescence. As children prepare to transition from elementary to middle school, ensuring their health and well-being through a well-child visit that includes a comprehensive physical exam is important, according to the DOH.
Vaccines help protect children from serious diseases. Many children have not received vaccines since kindergarten, meaning some of the protection they had when they started school has declined. Additionally, an incoming seventh-grader is now old enough to receive additional vaccines to prevent other serious diseases.
Staying current with immunizations safeguards children and helps prevent disease outbreaks in schools, contributing to overall health.
“This is why Hawaii law requires all students to submit official documentation to their school indicating that they have received the required vaccinations and undergone a physical exam before the first day of school,” according to the press release.
Before the first day of the 2025-26 school year, all seventh-grade students must provide official documentation of having received the following vaccines:
— Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine (Tdap);
— Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV);
— Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV).
Children new to Hawaii schools must also complete a tuberculosis (TB) clearance form with their health care provider.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and youth have a well-child visit with their health care provider at least once a year.
Well-child visits allow health care providers to monitor a child’s growth and development while addressing physical activity, nutrition, health concerns and behaviors.
The DOH encourages parents to contact their children’s health care provider for more information or to schedule an appointment. Assistance in connecting with a health care provider can be obtained via a call to Aloha United Way at 211.
For more information about Hawaii’s school health requirements, visit www.VaxToSchoolHawaii.com.
