It’s that time of year. August is notorious for back to school shopping, back to school supplies, and most importantly, back to school physicals.

Physicals are a great way to determine if they’re healthy, up to date on immunizations, and cleared to participate in school sports. Need answers about what to expect for this year’s back to school physicals? AFC Urgent Care New Bedford has created a guide on what you should know about adding back to school physicals to your child’s checklist. 

Missed A Physical? It’s Time To Play Catch Up

If your child skipped their doctor’s visit last year, it’s time to play catch up. Last year we faced colds, flu and the Omicron variant that ruined most of our winter holiday plans. This year, we want to make sure that your child is physically ready for that because contagion is rampant in school!

Playing catch up also means updating their medical records. Now is the time for your little ones to build up a medical file so that in case they do need to be seen for a medical emergency a doctor will know what to do next in terms of treatment.

This includes renewing vaccines so that they can protect against some of the most common health diseases.

Check Off Immunizations During Your Child’s Back To School Physical

Everyone has a vaccine schedule. Specifically, children in elementary and teens in middle school and highschool should follow their recommended immunization schedule. 

The CDC lists the most common vaccinations a child has to get from ages 0-18. Here are the most frequently required immunizations from schools around the country: 

• Meningitis 
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza
• Tetanus 
• Diphtheria 
• Pertussis

Your College Freshmen May Also Need Specific Vaccines!

Colleges often follow similar requirements to the list above. Vaccination requirements might slightly differ from college to college for incoming college Freshman who will be living in the dorms:

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Meningococcal
• Influenza

You should also plan ahead for COVID-19 vaccinations as this is still required for most schools throughout the U.S. If you don’t know what’s required for your child’s particular school we suggest that you look on the college’s website for Health Services where the requirements will usually be listed. If not, contact them directly. 

Can My Child Skip Their Annual Physical If They Already Got A Sports Physical?

Sports physical and an annual physical serve two entirely different purposes. A sports physical only covers the athlete's capability to participate in sports. This means their physical fitness like their heart rate, weight, height, flexibility, posture, lungs, blood pressure, etc are all checked.

A back to school physical on the other hand, is more comprehensive. It covers everything from head to toe. But good news! You can have both a sports physical and physical done in SAME visit. A full physical will cover sports, and everything else unrelated to sports, like lab work, testing, vaccinations and overall well-being.

Make the most out of your child’s doctor visit by requesting both to be done.

Need A Back To School Physical For Your Child? Come See Us At AFC Urgent Care New Bedford

Get a physical without the wait. If you’re looking for a quick, convenient and reliable place to get your child a back to school physical, come on in to our AFC Urgent Care center in New Bedford, MA any day of the week. 

AFC New Bedford’s doors are open 7 days a week with extended hours on the weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm and we have weekend hours from 8 am to 5 pm. There is no appointment needed when visiting our center. However, we also offer appointments so that parents can have peace of mind when going through their checklist so that they can enjoy the last summer days with their families. 

Please remember to bring your child’s school forms and any sports forms and we'll take care of the rest!