Health officials urging parents to put vaccinations on back-to-school checklist
MOTT HAVEN, The Bronx (WABC) -- There is still a little summer left and a few weeks before the start of a new school year, but at a playground in the Bronx, a school backpack giveaway is a reminder that kids will soon return to the classroom.
This is why City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashin Vasan and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen are urging parents to put childhood vaccinations on their back-to-school checklist.
Dr. Cohen says that means all vaccines - including for mumps, measles, polio, and chicken pox, which are required by state law.
The city is also dealing with the influx of asylum seekers. Of the over 100,000 migrants who have arrived in New York City, 18,000 are children who will be entering the largest school system in the country.
"We're screening everyone," said Dr. Vasan.
COVID is still a concern - the number of cases are ticking upward and are expected to continue to rise during the fall and winter.
An updated COVID booster is expected in the second or third week of September. The CDC director says it will likely be recommended for all.
ALSO READ | Tourist walks across Trevi Fountain in Rome to fill water bottle
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
