With the first day of school fast approaching, there's a lot for families to get done.

“You've got to buy school clothes. You've got to remember to do that shopping list of school supplies, and you've got to update all your immunizations,” Dr. Warren Seigel said.

And Dr. Seigel — chair of the New York State chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a pediatrician practicing in the city — says that should include the COVID vaccine if your child is twelve or older.

“It's never too late to get the COVID vaccine, so even if you're getting your first dose this week, you're not going to get your second dose for a month, but that still gives you some protection,” he said.

Some protection is better than none, especially as children now make up 15% of COVID-19 cases nationwide, Dr. Seigel says. That comes amid a surge in the more transmissible Delta variant, which has some parents worried this back to school season.

“They're coming in and they want to be as safe as possible and as healthy as possible, and yes they have questions — we all have questions," he said. "I had questions before I took my COVID vaccines and gave the COVID vaccines to my children, but they're safe. If they were not safe, I wouldn't have taken it. I wouldn't have given it to my kids."

Children under 12 aren’t eligible for the vaccine, and that's part of why the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended schools require masks. It’s also a reason for adults to get their shots.

“This is a family affair," Dr. Seigel said. "It's not just about my patients, it's not just about their children's siblings in the family, it's about everyone, grandparents, as well as parents and all caretakers."

It's a sentiment echoed by Am Azzue, a Staten Island grandmother whose two-year-old grandson is currently sick with COVID.

"These children are just children. They don't have any control over the situation, but someone that can get vaccinated does have control,” she said.

So far, his symptoms are mild. While she and her grandson’s immediate family is vaccinated, some other adults who have been around him aren’t.

“His parents did everything right, but the irresponsibility of some other individuals who didn't want to do the right thing, caused him to get sick,” she said.

It's just one more reason to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"If your children are over 12, or you're an adult and you have been waiting, this is the time to do it,” Dr. Seigel said.

It’s a key time to make sure you’re up to date on other vaccinations, too — especially with some families putting off routine trips to the doctor during the pandemic.

“I’m looking forward to the end of the COVID pandemic. I don’t want to be seeing the beginning of a measles or mumps or chicken pox outbreak,” Dr. Seigel said.