Physical and Immunization Requirements in Florida
(compiled from the FHSSA and FloridaHealth.gov websites.)
Sports: The sports physical form must be on record at the athlete’s school. The form is valid for 365 days. https://fhsaa.com/documents/2020/3/26/el02_physical_2.pdf
Florida Department of Health Screening Requirements:
School Entry Health Examination
Students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade who are making their initial entry into a Florida school must present a record of a school entry health examination completed within one year before enrollment. The school entry health exam, completed and signed by a health care provider licensed to perform physical exams in the United States, should be taken to the child’s school upon enrollment. A form signed by a health care provider licensed to perform physical exams in the United States that indicates the results of the components included in School Entry Health Exam form (DH3040-CHP-07/2013) is acceptable.
For students transferring to a Florida school, a comparable form from another state would also be acceptable if performed by a health care provider licensed to perform physical exams and completed within one year before enrollment.
- School Entry Health Exam Form: DH3040-CHP-07-2013 Form
- School Entry Health Exam Instructions: DH3040-CHP-07/2013 Instructions
Florida Certification of Immunization
The Florida Certification of Immunization, Form DH 680, must be used to document the immunizations required for enrollment and attendance in Florida schools. These forms are not available to the public and must be completed by a licensed Florida physician or advanced practice registered nurse or a Florida county health department. It is recommended that parents obtain a copy of the child’s complete immunization history before leaving the current state of residence. The Florida county health department or other Florida health care provider will need this immunization history for entry into Florida SHOTS immunization registry. The certified Florida Certification of Immunization, Form DH 680, is then printed from SHOTS for the parent to bring to school for school enrollment. Additional information regarding immunizations required for school attendance is available at the Florida Immunization Program website under the following headings:
Immunizations Required for Childcare and/or Family Daycare
- Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP)
- Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13)
- Hepatitis B (Hep B)
Public/Non-public Preschool Entry
- DTaP
- IPV
- MMR
- Varicella
- Hib
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13)
- Hepatitis B (Hep B)
Public/Non-public Schools Kindergarten Through 12th Grade
(Children entering, attending or transferring to Florida schools)
- Four or five doses of DTaP
- Four or five doses of IPV
- Two doses of MMR
- Three doses of Hep B
- One Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap)
- Two doses of Varicella Varicella vaccine is not required if there is a history of varicella disease documented by the health care provider.
Additional Immunization Requirements for 7th Grade Entry
Children entering, attending or transferring to the seventh grade in Florida schools must complete the following:
- One Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap)
You may also like:
Preparing for Puberty
Puberty brings big changes to our children’s bodies at a time when they are caring for their own bodies. Help them stay clean and handle the changes by preparing a puberty pack to help them on their way, with the products they need and information about what is happening.
What to put in their puberty packs?
Girls:
For at home:
- A basket or bag for their supplies
- Antiperspirant deodorant
- Scented body spray
- Cleansing Wipes
- Gentle face cleanser and an acne spot treatment that contains benzoyl peroxide
- Razors specifically made for girls or women (you can also try electric razors)
- Shave gel
- Pads and pantyliners
- Tampons — start with “light” or “slender” and “regular” sizes
- Hand sanitizer
- A calendar to track her monthly cycle (there are now period calendars on mobile devices)
- An informative book about menstruation
- An “all about a girl’s body” book
- Pretty makeup bag for carrying wipes, tampons and hand sanitizer when on the go
Boys:
- A basket or bag for their supplies
- Deodorant
- Razors
- Shaving Cream
- After Shave Lotion
- Body Wash
- Athlete’s Foot Powder
- Shampoo and Conditioner
- Face Wash
- Acne Cream
- Face Lotion for Boys
- An information book about puberty
Take some time to describe and show how things are used, and make sure to ask if they have questions. You are their most valuable resource as they grow.
You may also like:
Talking To Your Teens About Dating Violence
Welcome to one of the most challenging phases of parenting—adolescence. It is also the delicate seesaw of a time as a parent, isn’t it? Your teen needs you more than ever during this stage in their lives, but they are also seeking independence and turning to peers for advice on life lessons.
Right now, your teen is forming ideals that set the stage for future relationships. This is the best time as a parent or caretaker to begin to teach them the importance of respect in relationships. Respect for themselves, in their friendships and their dating relationships, but showing respect for others is equally as important.
Given that one in five high schoolers experience dating violence, you’ll want to be sure you do your part to help your child understand what a healthy relationship feels and looks like as early as possible. As a parent, you can help your teenager make good decisions about dating. With guidance and support, teens can learn about healthy relationships and get the strength and courage needed to leave those that are not.
It is important to teach your teen that dating violence and abuse come in many forms. Besides sexual violence, it also includes yelling, swearing, put-downs, threats and controlling, bossy and bullying behavior. Providing awareness of what many ways this abuse looks like is helpful in preventing it from happening in the first place.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here are some of the warning signs of dating violence or abuse. Some of these may be just part of being a teenager. But, when these changes happen suddenly or without explanation, there may be cause for concern.
School
Failing grades
Dropping out of school or school activities
Attitude/mood
Changes in personality, becoming anxious or depressed
Acting out or being secretive
Avoiding eye contact
Having “crying jags” or getting “hysterical”
Physical appearance
Bruises, scratches or other injuries
Sudden changes in clothes or make-up
Activities
Avoiding friends or changing peer groups
Giving up activities, interests or family time that previously had been important
Changes in eating or sleeping habits
If you think your teenager already may be involved with an abusive partner, give your teen a chance to talk and do your best to listen quietly to the whole story. Tell your child that you are there to help, not to judge. If your teen does not want to talk with you, find another trusted person for your child to talk with.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for medical care or professional advice. For professional help, contact the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-500-1119, www.fcadv.org.
You may also like:
Good Nutrition is Good Self-care
Nutrition is power, and good nutrition is the first block of self-care. It affects stress, energy, emotions and more. Here are some tips to help you ensure that you and your family are getting the nutrition you need.
- Check-in on your stress – Have you thought about how stress affects how well you digest and absorb nutrients? Stress can cause your body to reabsorb less water from your intestines, which can lead to dehydration and fatigue. This affects not only our current nutrition status but also the choices we make in terms of exercise and nutrition in the long run. This can turn into a harmful cycle of making bad choices and feeling bad about those choices and once you feel bad you’re less likely to go for something that’s good for you. Controlling your stress is one of the building blocks to forming a good nutrition practice and an important part of self-care.
- Ditch the Diet – When I talk about nutrition and self-care, it doesn’t mean dieting; it means properly fueling and feeding your body the things it needs to function. The best thing you can do for your body is nourish it, not restrict it!
- Balance it out (a few specific ways to increase nutrition). – Eat the rainbow; the more color, the better! Studies show that diets rich in fruits and vegetables were associated with daily feelings of well-being. Eat regularly throughout the day and avoid skipping meals to avoid getting “hangry” and making poor nutrition choices. Lastly, take on the 80/20 mindset. This mindset revolves around sticking to your nutrition-related goals and feeling totally “on it” 80% of the time while indulging mindfully during the remaining 20% of the time.
- Take your time and set yourself up for success – Take the time to enjoy your food by unplugging, eating slowly and chewing your food. Also, set yourself up for success by meal planning and prepping and stocking your fridge and pantry with healthy foods and essentials.
Five ways to sneak veggies into foods – add them…
- into smoothies – add dark greens, pumpkin puree, frozen cauliflower rice or avocado (dark greens and avocados freeze nicely if you have them and they’re about to go bad).
- into sauces –chop up veggies small into sauces (mushrooms, peppers, carrots, etc.).
- into soups/stews – kids may be more apt to eat veggies if they’re in a thick soup or stew.
- into desserts – swap fruit purees for oil. Check out the recipe for chewy black bean brownies.
- into mac and cheese – puree veggies into sauce.
Simple changes can make a big difference in how you feel and how your children grow. Try one tonight!
You may also like:
Food First Approach – Supporting Your Family’s Immune Health with Nutrition
A healthy immune system is an essential aspect of optimal health and wellness. A significant component of one’s immune health depends upon supporting the gut microbiome since 70% of our immune cells reside in the gut. Imbalances in the gut microbiota due to unhealthy lifestyle factors such as stress, poor sleep hygiene, lack of exercise, processed foods, sugar and dietary triggers may contribute not only to inflammation but also to leaky gut; dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been closely linked to several diseases, such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and autoimmunity.
Conversely, healthy lifestyle factors, including a diversified diet, limited consumption of processed and refined foods and consumption of adequate dietary fiber, have been shown to promote a healthy microbiome. These specific foods and nutrients not only support immune function but can also promote gut health. By providing essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, plant-based food sources play an important role in maintaining and positively influencing the immune function. Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, are components of plants that help protect the plant from insects or the environment, contributing to health benefits. This can include things like carotenoids (red and orange colorful foods), flavonoids (plant-based foods that act as an antioxidant) and phytosterols (help remove cholesterol from the body). Through anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, these essential nutrients and phytonutrients provide multiple benefits to the immune system, highlighting the role of nutrition as a powerful tool in promoting good health.
Supporting a healthy microbiome is a cornerstone of functional medicine and essential for strengthening immune responses and improving overall health. Personalized therapeutic interventions that focus on modifiable lifestyle factors have proven to optimize the function of the immune system while supporting gut health. Successful lifestyle modifications include the following:
- Personalized therapeutic food plans
- Multi-strain-specific probiotic and prebiotic supplementation
- Restorative quality sleep
- Movement and exercise plans
- Reduction of dietary triggers and toxic exposures
- Stress Resiliency and transformation
- Connection to others, not isolation
Implementing personalized treatment approaches that support the health and balance of the intestinal microbiome may be essential to not only strengthening resilience for high-risk chronic illnesses but also optimizing immune function, and disease prevention can help you and your family stay healthy.
TIPS for supporting immune response with nutrition:
- Focus on a rich variety of colorful plant foods: Consume two or more vegetables per meal and aim for three or more colors per day to ensure you consume a wide variety of immune-supportive nutrients.
- To retain nutrients: eat fruits and vegetables fresh when possible. Do not overcook. Steaming for less than two minutes is ideal for preserving nutrients.
- Several nutrients (including vitamins A, D, and E) are fat-soluble and are better absorbed if eaten with a healthy fat. For example, consuming a salad with higher fat vs. lower fat dressing is optimal for absorption of the carotenoids (Vitamin A).
You may also like:
