A shot of school time

PRINCETON — School book bags? Check. Notebooks? Check. New shoes? Check. Vaccinations? Maybe.

As more than two million Illinois children prepare to head back to school, federal and state agencies have combined efforts to remind parents to make sure their children’s vaccinations are current.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health are among the agencies promoting the month of August as National Immunization Awareness Month.

Locally, Katie Main, director of Health Promotion for the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department, said lots of parents use the health department for their children’s vaccinations because of the decreased costs charged by the health department.

School vaccinations are $10 each, and the health department does accept Medicaid payment. No child will be denied vaccines for lack of ability to pay, Main said.

Vaccinations are given at the health department during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The health department, located at 526 Bureau Valley Parkway in Princeton, carries all vaccines required for school-aged children. Parents do need to make appointments for their children’s vaccines.

Generally speaking, kindergarten children and high school freshmen need to get vaccinations or booster shots before the start of the school year, Main said. But, the required vaccines may vary depending on what vaccinations the individual child had already received and when those vaccinations were given.

In Illinois, proof of up-to-date immunizations is required for children entering any grade. State required immunizations include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, mumps, Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib), hepatitis B and varicella.

Getting the required vaccines is important, Main said.

“One of the best ways to protect your child’s health is with immunizations,” Main said. “Vaccines help prevent disease and save lives.”

Dr. Damon Arnold, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, called vaccines one of the most cost-effective and successful public health tools for preventing disease and death.

“Because of the success of vaccines in preventing disease in the United States, parents are often unaware that their children are still at risk for many serious and life-threatening diseases,” Arnold said. “There are some children who cannot be vaccinated for either medical reasons or they are still too young, so it is important parents continue to have their children vaccinated. I encourage parents to check with their physician or local health department about what vaccines are needed and what immunizations their child has already received.”