Whether in college, high school, or middle school, knowing where you can find vaccine information at your school is important. Many schools have courses, teachers, and healthcare facilities where literature and vaccine information can be found. These tools will come in handy when understanding how vaccines work, why they are important, and at what age certain ones should be administered. How to access these vaccination resources is not always clear. Unity is here to help with a guide broken down by school level, detailing where to find these resources at any stage in one’s education.
College Students:
- Courses like immunology and physiology are offered at universities to build on students’ knowledge of biology from high school. If you want to learn about the intricacies of vaccines, consider taking one of these courses. You can also talk to the course professor via email or during office hours to get your questions answered, and they can point you to some informative literature.
- Most universities in the U.S. offer various vaccination resources through their student health centers. Check your university’s student health website to see what services they provide and talk to the student health staff about informational text/flyers they have prepared. Familiarize yourself with your student health center by signing up for their newsletter, looking up their social media, or reading through their website.
- Learning about the different clubs at your school can also be helpful, as many universities have medical clubs. These clubs can help you access necessary vaccination resources/knowledge, so be sure to attend club fairs at your school to learn more about these extracurricular activities.
- It’s also important to keep up to date on health events going on at your campus. Many schools organize flu fairs where you can conveniently get your flu shot on campus anytime during the day and learn more about their significance. Be sure to read your university’s student health newsletter or look for other forms of advertisement promoting these campus health events.
High Schoolers:
- U.S. high schools require that their students take at least one year of biology class. During these classes, teachers may review the basics of viral vector vaccines. Using your biology teacher as a resource and taking additional biology classes in high school may be helpful in learning more about the complexities of vaccines. Similarly, high schools require that students take at least one semester of health class. Exploring vaccinations more with your health teacher may be helpful when understanding how they work and their significance.
- Parents or guardians must submit their high schoolers’ vaccination records to the school nurse upon registration. It may be useful to talk to your parents or guardians about your vaccine history and use your school nurse as a secondary resource to better understand immunizations and what vaccines you will need in the near future.
- Many high schools also have medical clubs where students delve deeper into healthcare topics. It may be interesting to join these clubs (e.g., Wellness Club or Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)) to explore topics such as vaccination.
Middle Schoolers:
Like the vaccine resources high schoolers have access to, parents of middle schoolers must submit their child’s vaccine records at registration. It may be useful to talk to your parents about your vaccine history and use your school nurse as a secondary resource to better understand why immunizations are essential. Your science teacher could also be a great resource to ask about immunization information, although they may not cover vaccines during class.
No matter what stage of school you are in, there are resources to help you get the vaccination knowledge you need. From health events to medical clubs, there are various ways to obtain vaccines at school and gain knowledge that will help you stay informed about vaccines in the future. Vaccines are required when enrolling in school and for other important commitments, so understanding their importance at a young age is crucial to lead a healthy life. Unity also has some great resources like the Know Your Vax page, where you can find information about different vaccines. Take advantage of these vaccination resources provided to you by your school and protect your health!
