Are your children fully immunized and ready for school?

The Daviess County Health Department has several adult vaccines that are available to the public. Usually it would be required that you are uninsured to receive these vaccines; however, the health department’s stock is getting close-dated and some may expire. The health department would rather use it — not lose it. So it’s time to take advantage of this opportunity to receive vaccines for free that would normally cost you hundreds of dollars out of your pocket. Many times even private insurances will not cover these vaccines.

The adult vaccines that are available until they are gone are as follows: Menactra (meningococcal vaccine-MCV4);

Prevnar 13 (pneumococcal vaccine); Pneumovax 23 (pneumococcal vaccine); Hepatitis B vaccine.

Call 660-663-2414 before you come to make sure these are still available.

Are your children fully immunized and ready for school?

School age children need vaccines. For example, kids who are four to six-years-old are due for boosters of four combinations of vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and polio. The Daviess County Health Department (DCHD) has combination vaccines which will allow staff to give two shots to complete a four- year-old for school provided they are current for their age: Kinrix (DtaP/IPV) and Proquad (MMR/Varicella).

Older children, like pre-teens and teens, need Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), HPV (human papillomavirus), MCV (meningococcal conjugate virus) and BEXSERO meningococcal B vaccines. As of school year 2016/2017, Tdap and MCV4 are required for 8th grade entry and MCV4 for 12th grade entry. In addition, yearly flu vaccines are recommended for all children six months and older.

It is the parent’s responsibility to provide their school with proof of appropriate immunizations for school entry. Be sure to take your immunization records to registration so the school can update their records.

Check with your child’s doctor or DCHD to find out what vaccines they may need this year.

DCHD is a provider of Vaccines for Children (VFC). VFC is a program that provides free vaccines to children ages 0 thru 18 years of age that are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid, underinsured, or Alaskan Native/American, Indian/Asian, or Pacific Islander. DCHD also has privately purchased vaccinations and is contracted with five major insurance providers: Coventry, BlueCross BlueShield of KC, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna. If you have one of these five insurance providers and want to get your immunizations at the Daviess County Health Department, you are advised to call your insurance company prior to your visit to ensure that your insurance plan covers immunizations and that the Daviess County Health Department is an in-network provider.

If your insurance does not cover immunizations, the health department can offer VFC vaccines up to 19 years old, and limited adult vaccines for 19 years old and older.

DCHD has public health day every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nurses are available on those days to do immunizations with no appointment needed. If Tuesday will not work for you, call and DCHD will try to set up an appointment on another day. You are asked not to wait until the very last minute. Once school begins, nurses are out of the office and all over the county doing school screenings—so don’t wait, do it as soon as possible.

Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.

Forms and information about all of our services can be found on our website, daviesshealthonline.com, and Facebook.