Dear Incoming 7th Grade Parent,
As a reminder, all incoming 7th graders for the 2025-2026 school year are required to have one dose of
both a Tdap and Meningitis (MCV4) vaccine for entry into the 7th grade. There are other vaccines that are
equally important and recommended.
Tdap vaccine protects against three diseases with one dose.
• Tetanus causes painful muscle spasms, usually all over the body.
• Diphtheria causes breathing problems and could cause death.
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) can be a very serious disease, especially for infants as it causes
severe coughing spells and can cause death. Pertussis is spread through the air and is highly
contagious. It is most commonly spread to infants from teens and adults that are close to them.
MCV4 (Meningitis) vaccine protects against four strains of Meningitis (A, C, W, Y).
• Meningitis is spread by coughing and sneezing of infected secretions. Teens are at increased risk
for this bacterial infection because of their social behaviors. Meningitis can kill a healthy person
in less than 48 hours. Survivors can have serious problems that last the rest of their lives.
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) – two dose series protects against HPV disease.
• 4 out of 5 unvaccinated people will get HPV in their lifetime
• Protects males and females against related cancers and genital warts.
• Better immune response when given at this age
Please consider scheduling an appointment early. August is typically very congested with full
clinics, so please do not delay.
The health dept. will not be doing Scoliosis screening on middle school students in the school. If you
want your child screened for scoliosis while they are here for immunizations, please let us know that
when you schedule.
If you have any questions or to schedule an appointment, please call the health department at 419-523-
5608.
Sincerely,
Putnam County Health Department
