Today is the final Immunizations Clinic with Greene County Public Health, and for kids to get their required immunizations ahead of the start of the school year

Greene County Public Health Immunizations Program Manager Jill Hansen says there are certain requirements for different grade levels of kids before they can start school. She says at the clinic, kindergarteners will receive one shot with tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and polio vaccines, and another with a booster dose for measles, mumps and chickenpox. Seventh graders will receive two shots: one with tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis and the other with the meningitis vaccine. High school seniors must have a meningitis shot after the age of 16 in their medical records and if they don’t, they have to receive one at the clinic.

Hansen describes what could happen if these kids don’t get their required vaccinations prior to school starting.

“Kindergarteners, if they’ve had at least one dose of the required vaccine in their lifetime, then they can start school and they’ll be given a provisional certificate of immunization which gives parents 60 days to get those immunizations done. Same thing for the seventh graders, but seventh graders would not have had that meningitis booster prior to this age. So if they haven’t had one or both of that (required immunization) they cannot start school. Same thing goes for the seniors, if they haven’t had a dose of that meningitis shot at some point in their lifetime, they cannot start school.”

The clinic will be from 5:30-7:30pm at the clinic entrance on the lower level of the Greene County Medical Center. Hansen notes parents can stay in their vehicle with their child to receive the necessary immunizations. Contact Greene County Public Health at 515-386-3228 to schedule an immunization appointment.