As students prepare for their first day of school, health officials are eying a potential uptick of certain illnesses and are reminding families to add immunizations to their back-to-school checklists.

“This is a good time of year to talk about immunizations,” said Dr. Danielle Wales of Albany Med. “August is actually National Immunization Awareness Month.”

Wales says making sure a child is up to date on their vaccinations is paramount.

“Lots of diseases can affect kids in any grade level, from elementary school to high school,” she said.

That includes varicella, or chicken pox, measles, mumps or pneumonia, to name a few.

“We’re actually this year seeing the most pertussis or whooping cough that we’ve seen in a number of years,” Wales said. “We’re trying to make sure our all of our kids especially our middle schoolers and high schoolers are up to date with their tDap or tetanus with pertussis immunization.”

It’s one of several vaccines required to attend school in New York state, but there are some medical-related exemptions.

“Your child’s doctor knows all about your child and their health and they’ll know what benefits these vaccines will bring to your kids,” Wales said.

A complete list and other information can be found on the state’s Department of Health’s website.

“The start of school is always an exciting time,” said Bethlehem Central School District Superintendent Jody Monroe.

Health and wellness are top of mind in most school districts, many of which are implementing new policies related to cell phones.

“A lot of things are really important to make school not only a healthy environment for kids but a place where kids want to be and can relax and have fun with their peers,” Monroe explained.

And if you're running behind this school year, children who are unvaccinated or overdue have 14 days from the start of the school year to receive at least the first dose of all required vaccines.