Clallam County Health and Human Services wants your child to be up-to-date on vaccinations required for school. To encourage this, CCHHS will be at selected back to school events in Sequim and Port Angeles to give vaccinations at a reduced cost.
Middle schools are the focus of these efforts due to new Washington immunization requirements for varicella (chicken pox) vaccinations. As of this fall, seventh- and eighth-grade students need to show documentation of two doses of chicken pox vaccine or a health care provider’s diagnosis of chicken pox for school entry.
Selected vaccinations will be offered at the following events:
• Sequim — Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Sequim Middle School
• Port Angeles — Thursday, Aug. 20, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Stevens Middle School
CCHHS staff will provide varicella, Tdap (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), and MMRV (MMR combined with varicella) vaccinations on site. There is no charge for the vaccine for the students. However, there is an administration fee of $23 per vaccine.
For Medicaid participants, Medicaid will be billed directly. For other insurances, a receipt will be provided for submission to the insurance company after paying for the vaccination administration fee by cash or check.
The normal $30 office fee will not be charged at these events.
A $30 Back-to-School Savings voucher will be given to those attending these events who cannot pay that day or need catch-up vaccinations other than those offered.
The voucher will allow the holder to get other needed vaccinations at CCHHS Public Health Section at 113 E. Third St., Port Angeles prior to Sept. 30 without the office visit charge. There still will be the $23 per vaccine administration fee.
Clallam County experienced a measles outbreak last winter. Six cases of measles, including two school-aged children, were linked to the outbreak.
Public health officials want to increase vaccination rates to help prevent a similar outbreak. As stated by Jeanette Stehr-Green, MD, Clallam County interim health officer, “Community immunity is important to protect all Clallam County residents against vaccine preventable diseases, including those too young or too sick to receive vaccinations.”
Stehr-Green encourages parents to take advantage of these vaccination opportunities and “protect their children and vulnerable community members while saving money.”
For more information on the CCHHS Back-to-School Vaccination Special, call 417-2274.
