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Wellness Wednesday: Back-to-school vaccines

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School is back in session for most Idaho students, but as children head to the classroom it's important to make sure they are up to date on their vaccines.

Dr. Erika Aragona with Saint Alphonsus said vaccines are an effective way to prevent severe diseases by boosting natural immunity.

"What I like to tell parents and kids is this allows us to have those stored antibodies so we can fight something right away, instead of playing catch-up, so something our kids may never have been exposed to before," she said.

Aragona said it's important to vaccinate kids of all ages if they are eligible for a vaccine.

Even for kids outside of school, Aragona said vaccines are important for everyone to work toward eradicating diseases and preventing further spread.

"Diseases are still around but what we want to do is protect our bodies by playing a really good offensive game where we can go out into the community and not be afraid to contract something," she said.

More information can come from a family pediatrician or the Centers for Disease Control.