Families should plan their visits to the doctor’s office to update their kids’ vaccinations prior to the new school year. Updated vaccinations are on the list of requirements students in kindergarten, seventh, and 12th grades need to complete before attending classes. Mid-Prairie Nurse Jaclyn Greiner tells KCII News about the required immunizations before the school year begins, “If you have a child going into kindergarten, there’s four shots that are pretty typical that you need to get before the first day of kindergarten. That would be DTap, Polio, MMR, and Varicella, which is chickenpox. Also if you have a seventh grader, they have a new requirement in the last few years for a meningococcal vaccine and a Tdap vaccine. If you have a 12th grader this coming year they will have needed another meningococcal vaccine at the age of 16 or older. There are a lot of things to keep track of, but again your primary care provider or your school nurse can help you keep track of those.” Greiner says exemption certificates are available through the state for families who are unable to vaccinate their children due to medical conditions or religious beliefs.