Schedule required immunizations before school starts

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • August 9, 2013
  • 349
                        
School begins for most districts in the region in a matter of weeks and parents are reminded to schedule school-required vaccinations as soon as possible. Kate King, RN, president of the Ohio Association of School Nurses, and a school nurse with Columbus City Schools, wants to emphasize that parents or guardians who wait until school is about to start may have difficulty making an appointment with their pediatrician or primary care provider. “Past experience has shown us that provider’s offices will be very overrun right before school starts,” said King. “We encourage parents and guardians to schedule your child or children’s vaccinations now to avoid any unnecessary delays.” If parents are unable to schedule an appointment, they are encouraged to contact their local health department for information on available immunizations. Locally the Tuscarawas County Health Department and the New Philadelphia Health Department are a valuable resource for residents in need of state-mandated immunizations as well as others recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). “We are seeing a lot of physicians simply do not offer immunizations anymore,” said Nichole Bache, director of nursing at the New Philadelphia Health Department. “Immunizations are expensive and they have expiration dates. It is not cost-effective for some doctors to offer them. We are glad we can offer the service to local families here at the health department.” Children entering kindergarten must be vaccinated for polio, chicken pox, measles/mumps/rubella, hepatitis B and diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (Tdap). Students entering the seventh grade in Ohio are now required to have a booster shot of the Tdap vaccination. Currently the county has had no reports of pertussis or whooping cough as it is commonly called. In 2012, there were 14 reported cases. “Residents are realizing the importance of this vaccine,” said Sue Auberry, RN at the Tuscarawas County Health Department. “Parents and guardians need to realize they don’t have to wait until their children are getting ready to start school to get their vaccines,” said Sue Straits, RN at the Tuscarawas County Health Department. “They can get their shots as long as they are four years old and there has been at least two years since they last received shots. Don’t wait until just before school starts.” Sports physicals offer an additional opportunity to update vaccinations. If your child receives a physical from a health care provider other than their regular pediatrician or family physician, remember to check with their primary care physician to ensure they are current on vaccinations. The Tuscarawas County Health Department offers sports physicals with a licensed staff physician assistant by appointment. King also urges both parents and providers to use the opportunity of a doctor’s visit to get children and adolescents all the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), not just those mandated for school attendance. Both Tuscarawas County and New Philadelphia health departments encourage children older than 6 months have a flu shot, and that adolescents have the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. The Tuscarawas County Health Department accepts appointments. They are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are accepted the first Thursday of each month from 4-6 p.m. Immunizations are $10 per shot. Various forms of payment are accepted. They can be reached at 330-343-5555. The New Philadelphia Health Department accepts appointments. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Immunizations are $8 per shot. Various forms of payment are accepted. Contact them at 330-364-4491, ext. 501.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load