Don’t forget to immunize children

July 29, 2008 10:09 am

— August is National Immunization Awareness month, and as the new school year rolls around, the Laurel County Health Department urges all parents of school-age children to ensure their immunizations are up to date.
Through our Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, we now have the Tdap (Tetanus, diptheria and accellular pertussis) vaccine available for adolescents and teens 10-18 years of age.
Pertussis has become a concern for the past few years, with several cases reported nationwide.
We also have available the Menactra vaccine (meningococcal), which is recommended for active immunization of adolescents ages 11-18 for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by N meningitides serogroups A, C Y and W-135.
The HPV vaccine is also available for girls ages 11-13 and protects against four major types of HPV.
To quality for the VFC program, you must have K-Chip or a medical card, or not have any medical insurance, be under-insured, or have insurance that does not pay for vaccines. Native Americans or Alaskan Natives also qualify. For further information or to schedule an appointment for immunizations, call 864-5187 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Kathy Hurley, RN
Laurel County Health Department