Mayo Clinic doctors weigh in on all things back-to-school

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – It’s that time of year again; families are gearing up for the start of the school year.

To help with that, Mayo Clinic doctors hosted a Q and A centering around back-to-school topics Friday morning.

Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, stressed the importance of keeping up with immunizations before returning to the classroom. With children six months and older eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, Rajapakse recommends getting your child the latest COVID booster before they’re back in a full learning environment.

With a disruptive few years of schooling, experts suggest keeping an open dialogue with your child to ensure they’re ready physically and emotionally.

“I think that children are more aware of things than we give them credit for,” Rajapakse said. “They’re seeing things in the media, hearing things from friends, they’re looking at things on social media. And really, having an open, two way conversation and addressing things to the best of your ability is really important.”

Dr. David Soma is a pediatrician and sports medicine specialist, with Mayo Clinic Children’s Center.

“I know school the last few years have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “And I think that hopefully this year can be closer to a school year we are used to.”

Soma recommends preparing kids for a schedule change. A busy school year can include sports practice, academic activities and other social events. He says easing your children into the schedule can be beneficial and help prioritize sleep.

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