County to Offer Free Vaccine Clinics for Students

Anne Arundel County officials have planned free vaccination clinics next week for students, who will be kept out of school without the shots.

Fifteen cases of whooping cough reported in Montgomery County, which is prevented by the Tdap vaccine.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has set up a free walk-in clinic for students who still need the Tdap and meningococcal immunizations required of seventh-graders this school year. The clinic will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, at Meade Middle School, located at 1103 26th St. on Fort Meade.

In addition to that clinic, Tdap and meningococcal immunizations will be administered to students from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5:30 p.m. at the Glen Burnie and Parole health centers on Sept. 15, 16, and 17, and 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.

The Glen Burnie Health Center is located at 416 A Street, S.W. in Glen Burnie. The Parole Health Center is located at 1950 Drew St. in Annapolis. For information, call 410-222-6633 or 410-222-7247.

Parents or guardians must be present with their children at any of the clinics to sign consent forms.

According to state law, any student without documentation of required immunizations who does not have a bona fide exception will not be admitted to school on Monday, Sept. 15. Parents of students should contact the nurse at their child’s school to discuss exceptions.

A list of required immunizations for school entry can be found on the school system’s website, www.aacps.org.

Whooping Cough Symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis spreads easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Patients are generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease. Vaccination can often prevent the disease.

The disease is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe, says the CDC. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a “whooping” sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than 1 year of age.

Anyone diagnosed is reported to the Maryland Health Department and then in turn reported to the county’s health agency. Symptoms include a runny nose and a cough that sounds similar to a bark, according to the CDC.