(Radio Iowa) – As Iowa schools prepare to open for fall classes, parents are urged to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccinations. Dr. Nathan Boonstra, a general pediatrician with Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, says in addition to the state-required shots, parents should also get their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Boonstra says that’s because some children do get very sick from the virus in rare cases.

Boonstra says parents should double check with their child’s pediatrician this year as many families have missed recent routine physical examinations due to the pandemic.

Kids as young as six months of age can be vaccinated against COVID.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)