(NewsUSA) – Back-to-school season is here. It’s time for parents to gather school supplies and backpacks. It’s also the perfect time to make sure your kids are up to date on their vaccines.

Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by CDC’s immunization schedule is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health — and that of classmates and the community. Most schools require children to be current on vaccinations before enrolling to protect the health of all students.

Today’s childhood vaccines protect against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough and chickenpox.

“Thanks to vaccines, most of these diseases have become rare in the United States,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But many still exist here, and they can make children very sick, leading to many days of missed school, missed work for parents, and even hospitalization and death.”

In 2011, there were more than 200 cases of measles reported in the U.S. In 2010, about 27,550 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were reported, and 25 people died from the disease. “Without vaccines, these numbers would be much, much higher,” Dr. Schuchat said. “That’s why kids still need vaccines.”

When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of disease and can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community — including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.

School-age children need vaccines. For example, kids who are 4 to 6 years old are due for boosters of four vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and polio. Older children, like pre-teens and teens, need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), HPV (human papillomavirus) and MCV (meningococcal conjugate virus) vaccines. In addition, yearly flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older.

Check with your child’s doctor to find out what vaccines are needed.

Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.