Now is the time for teens to get vaccinated

Parents, as you start buying school supplies for your teenager, be sure to add the COVID-19 vaccine in your return-to-school plan. Iowa has become a hot spot for the disease and COVID-19 cases are on the rise. The good news is that only about 3 percent of those hospitalized for the disease have been vaccinated.

Schools in Iowa cannot require masking due to actions of the state Legislature this past spring. According data this week from the Iowa Department of Public Health, only 25 percent of children 12-15 and 34 percent of 16-17 year-olds are vaccinated. Unlike last fall when most students were masked, this year schools will likely become central source of spread in the community.

The good news is that parents have the power to keep their family safe by making sure their eligible children are vaccinated before finding themselves in the crowded halls of a middle or high school. By getting the vaccine now, your child will have a high level of immunity on the first day of school and could be fully vaccinated in time for Homecoming!

Dr. Jeremy Whitaker

Cedar Falls

President, Iowa Public Health Association