Is it Exam Time for Georgia's School Childre...(stering the vaccine to first immunize ch...),Health

The message seems to be hitting home because according to a StateHealthFacts.org report, 81 percent of Georgia's children, ages 19 to 35 months, were immunized in 2007, compared to the national average of 80 percent. Although Ga. ranks higher than some other states, thousands of children still go without annual vaccinations, putting them and their caregivers at risk.

In addition, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended for girls ages 11 to 12 years. The HPV vaccine is a three-dose series administered over a six-month period. Anthem provides coverage for most vaccines. However, policyholders should confirm their specific benefits by calling the toll-free number listed on their insurance card.

Vision:

The American Public Health Association (APHA) recently reported that one-in-four children in kindergarten through sixth grade has a vision problem. In addition, some studies indicate that 80 percent of learning in children occurs visually; therefore, getting regular routine eye exams should be a major part of the back to school preparation. Undiagnosed vision problems can lead to difficulty with schoolwork, resulting in poor performance.

According to the American Optometric Association's (AOA) 2009 American Eye-Q(R) survey, 60 percent of children identified as "problem learners" actually suffer from undetected vision problems and in some cases have been inaccurately diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

"Having healthy eyes and clear vision can make all the difference in how a child learns and/or performs in class," said Dr. McCormack. "Poor vision can resu
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