With the start of the new school year just around the corner, Optum New Mexico physician Pawitta Kasemsap is stressing the importance of medical checkups for children and adults alike.

Kasemsap is now hard at work making sure parents take the steps needed to make sure their children are ready to go back to school, adding that many times a health check-up may be overlooked.

“It’s kind of like taking your car to the mechanic to get an oil change,” she told KOB.com. “You know you have to do it every so often. So, it’s really important that children and adults really go in to see their doctors at least once a year for their annual check-up.”

Kasemsap added such checkups are especially critical for children, reasoning different ages can bring about different concerns.

“We want to provide information to the parents and what to expect at each age,” she added. “You know around 12 years old you want to talk about puberty and of course, around 16, to think about transitioning to adulthood.”

Kasemsap added that talking about vaccinations is also critical, in large part because it’s important to make sure your kids are up to date on their required vaccines and just as crucial to keep in mind other vaccines that may keep your child safe during the upcoming school year.

“The annual flu vaccine, the HPV vaccine among teenagers, and, of course, the COVID vaccine. I think, that’s really important to talk to your providers about," she said.