City Clinics Offering Back-To-School Immunizations

Here's a press release from the City of El Paso Department of Public Health:

City Clinics Offering Back-To-School Immunizations

New Requirements for Students Take Effect Aug. 1

July 22, 2009 – The City of El Paso Department of Public Health is offering back-to-school immunizations.

The department through its Immunization Program is offering vaccines for school-age children, including the vaccines students must have under new state requirements to take effect Aug. 1.

The vaccines are provided by appointment or on a walk-in basis at the program’s five health centers: Henderson, 721 S. Mesa; Northeast, 5587 Transmountain; Tigua, 7862 San Jose; Ysleta, 110 Candelaria; and Westside, 5195 Mace. The health centers are open 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Friday with alternating Saturdays.

The cost is $10 for one vaccine or $20 total if two or more vaccines are provided during the same visit. To make an appointment at any of the health centers or to find out more about the school vaccines required by the Texas Department of State Health Services call the City’s Immunization Program at (915) 771-5822.

According to the state, the changes to school immunization requirements mainly affect students entering kindergarten and seventh grade. The changes include:

• Students entering kindergarten must have had two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine.

• Students entering kindergarten must have had two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Students in grades 1 through 12 must continue to meet the current requirements of two doses of a measles-containing vaccine and one does each of mumps and rubella vaccine.

• Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade must have had two doses of the Varicella vaccine. Students in grades 1 through 6 and 8 through 12 must continue to meet the current requirement of one dose of the Varicella vaccine.
• Students entering seventh grade must have had one does of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis-Containing (Tdap) Vaccine. In addition, seventh-graders must have had a booster dose of Tdap, but only if it has been five years since their last dose of tetanus-containing vaccine. Students in grades 8 through 12 must have had a booster dose of Tdap if it has been 10 years since their last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.

• Students entering seventh grade must have had one dose of the Menigococcal vaccine.

• The full list of school immunization requirements is available at www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/docs/school/6-14eng.pdf.

For more information, visit the Department of Health web page.