Categories: Spark

Sending Kids Back to School Healthy #GoBackHealthy

I’m proud to partner with MinuteClinic as part of their Back to School #GoBackHealthy campaign. As part of my involvement, I have received sponsorship from MinuteClinic for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are purely my own.

We are at the point where school is starting again and parents are rushing to get their kids ready. School supplies, backpacks, fall sports/activities, and checkups are just a few of the things I have on my mind and I have to times that by three (since I have three kids.) This year my youngest is starting Kindergarten and my oldest is going into 4th grade. With almost a five year gap in between them I have different things too to worry about. My daughter needed a whole bunch of vaccinations and my boys needed physicals for sports, plus my oldest is starting to have acne already which I think is crazy early!

Did you know that the CVS MinuteClinic can not only diagnose, treat and write prescriptions from common family illnesses but they can also provide common vaccinations, wellness services, routine lab tests, and more? I recently started going to the MinuteClinic with my family and honestly it is so much more convenient than my doctor’s office. With the “Hold a Place in Line” you can even put yourself in line at home and head over when your “appointment” time is.

Some Back to School vaccinations MinuteClinic can administer:

Meningitis – The meningitis vaccine protects against meningococcal disease, which is a serious bacterial illness. Many colleges and boarding schools require it to protect students living in dorms. It is recommended that 11–12 year olds be vaccinated with meningococcal conjugate vaccine with a booster dose given at age 16.

Pertussis – Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths which result in a “whooping” sound. Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old.

HPV – Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. There are more than 40 HPV types who become infected don’t even know they have it. HPV vaccination is recommended for preteen girls and boys at 11 or 12 years. They offer Gardasil®, which protects against 4 types of HPV, 2 of which cause about 75% of cervical cancer cases.

Getting treated and checked out is easy at MinuteClinic. No appointment is necessary and they’re open on evenings and weekends. They even accept most insurance.

Don’t need a vaccination but rather have acne issues?

CVS MinuteClinic offers personalized consultations and treatment recommendations for all ages. They can diagnose and treat acne issues, along with provide prescriptions. If an over-the-counter medication will do the job, they are happy to help you choose the right one.

Need a sports physical?

Yep CVS MinuteClinic can do that too! Even if your state or school doesn’t require it, sports physicals also help to keep immunizations up to date and provide an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have.

Their practitioners provide this service for patients 18 months and older. Keep in mind though that a sports physical does not replace an annual wellness physical.

Next time you need a health service…

Keep CVS MinuteClinic in mind. They offer convenient health services without disrupting daily lives and in the time you need them. No more waiting weeks to get in to see a doctor or nurse. MinuteClinic also offers such a great variety of services they are worth checking out first plus they can send their report to your primary doctor so its on file with them as well.