Starting kindergarten in the UAE? Here’s what parents need to know about vaccines
Dubai: For parents, getting a child ready for kindergarten usually means thinking about uniforms, school bags, lunch boxes, and those all-important first-day nerves. But there is another item that should be checked before the school year begins, the child’s vaccination record. Health experts across the UAE are urging parents to review vaccination records early, particularly if a child has…
Dubai: As parents prepare their children for kindergarten, an often overlooked aspect is their child's vaccination record. Health experts in the UAE are urging parents to review their child's vaccination history early on, especially if the child has had vaccines in another country or if parents are unsure if any doses were missed.
Children should be up-to-date with all the vaccines recommended by the UAE national immunisation programme and any extra requirements from the local health authority for school entry. Dr. Sundus Khuder, a consultant paediatrician at RAK Hospital, emphasizes the importance of checking not just whether a child has been vaccinated, but also if the vaccinations were administered at the correct time and in the correct sequence.
Parents are advised to take their child's vaccination card or record to a paediatrician, primary healthcare centre, or school-health service for comparison with the UAE's age-appropriate schedule. Records issued outside the UAE should clearly list the vaccine names and administration dates. If there are missing doses or unclear records, parents should consult an authorised vaccination centre, which can then create an appropriate catch-up plan based on the child's previous vaccinations.
The importance of vaccination increases when children start attending school, as they spend more time in close contact with other children. Dr. Ensiyeh Rahimi, an infectious diseases specialist at Laser Medical Centre, highlights the need for children to have their vaccination records reviewed for any vaccines and boosters due under the current UAE national immunisation programme.
Influenza vaccination is recommended for eligible children from six months of age. Vaccination protects not only the child but also classmates, family members, and vulnerable people in the community. Parents should ask their paediatrician about potential side effects, multiple vaccines given at the same time, and the necessity of vaccines against less common diseases.
Dr. Siddharth Arora, a paediatrician at Medcare Women and Children Hospital, advises parents to discuss side effects with their healthcare provider, as most reactions are mild and temporary, such as soreness or low-grade fever. Serious reactions are extremely rare, and scientific evidence confirms that recommended vaccines do not cause autism and that multiple vaccines given at one visit are safe.
Parents should arrange a paediatric consultation four to six weeks before school starts to address any gaps in their child's vaccination history. The paediatrician can compare documented doses with the child's age and determine if any vaccinations are outstanding. Depending on the child's age and previous doses, boosters for DTaP, polio, and chickenpox may be due around five to six years of age.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
