SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — With the start of the school year roughly a month away, local health experts and pediatricians are urging parents to schedule physicals and vaccinations early to avoid late-summer clinic rushes.
Health professionals emphasize that the weeks leading up to the first bell are critical for establishing health routines, completing mandatory forms, and easing children’s anxiety about returning to class.
“A big thing that comes up before starting school is getting your sports physicals in,” said Dr. Quinton Barnes, a pediatrician at Mercy Health. “If you can get those done early in advance, it’s nice, and then you won’t have any delays in getting to participate in the activities that you want.”…