• By Yalonda Galloway
• Posted Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Health Department Offers Required School Vaccines for 2015-2016

The 2015-2016 school year is fast approaching and children starting Kindergarten or 7th grade will be required to have specific vaccines to protect them from serious diseases.

Kindergartners will now be required to have:

• two doses of Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine if they do not have a history of disease documented by a health care provider;
• and the 4th dose of Polio vaccine must be given after 4 years of age and before entering school for the first time.
• *All kindergartners are required to have a physical exam signed by their physician.

According to the NC Law, seventh graders will be required to have:

• one dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis);
• and one dose of Meningococcal vaccines if they have not previously received these vaccines.

Children should have their immunizations up to date on the first day of school, and those that do not by the 30th day will be suspended. Immunizations are important to protect your children against diseases that can be life threatening. It's also important to vaccinate your children to help protect those who cannot be vaccinated. "The diseases we vaccinate against still exist and the best protection is vaccination," says Felicia Lovett, FCDPH Immunization Program Manager.

Get your child's shots now. Don't Wait! Come to Clinic 3 at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health at 799 N. Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem, during the following hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 8:30am-3:45pm
• Thursday 9:30am-6:45pm
• Friday 8:30am-11:45am

The immunization clinic is a walk in clinic and does not require appointments. Children with no insurance or Medicaid pay no out of pocket fee for immunizations. We do not accept credit cards or private insurance.