There has been a lot of talk about vaccinations in the news lately. Most of this talk centers around whether or not all children should be vaccinated, but most people are unaware that adults also need to have updates on certain vaccines. During my yearly physical several years ago, I mentioned that I taught the Toddler’s Sunday School Class and volunteered in the Baby Room here at church. My physician said that it was important that I made sure that I was up to date on certain vaccines to protect the children as well as myself. The recommended vaccinations for adults who work with children are:
Influenza:
All adults should get flu vaccine every year.
Tdap (Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis/whooping cough):
Every adult should get one dose of Tdap vaccine.Then, every 10 years after that, get a Td (tetanus-diphtheria) vaccine.Pregnant women should get a dose of Tdap during every pregnancy, even if they’ve had it before.
Varicella (chickenpox):
Every adult who has never had chickenpox and has never been vaccinated against varicella should get two doses of varicella vaccine.
After talking with Dr. King and our Risk Management Chairman, Alex King, we are asking that everyone who volunteers in the birth to 3 year old Sunday School Classes and anyone who works with these children during the worship hour make sure that you are up to date on these vaccines. We value our volunteers and we do not want to make it any more difficult for you to continue working with the Parkway children, but we want to make sure that we provide the safest possible environment for our children. If you are unsure as to whether you are current on these vaccinations, please check with your physician over the summer. We are not asking you to turn in proof of vaccinations, just to make sure that you are updated.