Kalamazoo Gazette

by Linda S. Mah
Wednesday June 10, 2009, 11:00 PM

KALAMAZOO — Bad news, tweens: It’s time for your shots.

Most children undergo a round of immunizations when they are babies and toddlers, completing those vaccinations before they enter kindergarten.

Parents and children often think that’s the end of vaccinations, except for the occasional tetanus booster, said Dr. Randall Dyk.

Part of the challenge of reaching older children is that they simply don’t come into the doctor’s office for regular checkups, as babies and toddlers do, he said.

But new requirements and changes in vaccination recommendations mean kids often need to face the needle again when they turn 11, Dyk said.