Health department taking appointments for student vaccines
DOVER (WJER) (June 2, 2022) – One school year is just ending but Tuscarawas County Health Department officials are reminding parents it’s never too early to start thinking about the next one.
Nursing Director Amy Kaser is encouraging parents not to wait to get their kids up to date on their vaccines ahead of the fall. She says parents can start scheduling appointments now.
Kaser says the sooner, the better to get the students entering kindergarten, 7th, and 12th grades in to avoid the late summer rush.
“Yeah, we see that pretty consistently, especially that week before school or week of school or when the school nurses are reaching out to those parents once school has started when they notice the vaccines haven’t been updated,” she said.
Kaser says kids in those grades can end up being held out of school or sporting events and activities if they aren’t up to date on their vaccines.
She says the health department also intends to host a drive-up vaccine clinic at some point in August for kids entering the 7th and 12th grades. Details will be announced later in the summer once those are finalized.
Kaser says if your insurance doesn’t cover the vaccines, the clinic is involved in a program that lowers the cost to $21 per vaccine, which covers the administrative fees. Otherwise, the out-of-pocket fee could be between $200 and $300 per vaccine.