Immunizations Deadline is Here

Many school districts in our area have today as the deadline for compliance with the new immunization requirements.

Montgomery County urges parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on their necessary shots.

Families without insurance coverage or a family doctor can visit a county health department free immunization clinic, according to the Montgomery County Health Department.

Childhood, adolescent and adult immunizations can be obtained free of charge at the participating clinics, available below

What Your Kid Needs

According to a press release, school immunization requirements for vaccines changed Aug. 1, 2011. The changes more closely match the recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The change affected all students from kindergarten to 12^th grade, with additional requirements for students entering 7^th grade.

Here are the new vaccine requirements for all grades:

• 4 doses of tetanus
• 4 doses of diphtheria
• 3 doses of polio
• 2 doses of measles
• 2 doses of mumps
• 1 dose of rubella (German measles)
• 3 doses of hepatitis B
• 2 doses of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine or history of disease

Children entering 7^th grade need the additional vaccines:

• 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap)
• 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)

School nurses in the county are reporting about 20 percent of students, about 21,000, are not up to date on immunizations, according to the county health department.

Where To Go

According to the county, free immunizations for children and adolescents up to age 18 include:

• Diphtheria
  
  
• Tetanus
  
  
• Pertussis
  
  
• Polio
  
  
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
  
  
• Measles
  
  
• Mumps
  
  
• Rubella
  
  
• Varicella (chicken pox)
  
  
• Hepatitis A
  
  
• Hepatitis B
  
  
• Rotavirus
  
  
• Flu
  
  
• Pneumococcal and meningococcal
  
  
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Free adult immunizations include:

• Dipheteria
  
  
• Tetanus
  
  
• Pertussis
  
  
• Measles
  
  
• Mumps
  
  
• Rubella
  
  
• Chicken pox
  
  
• Flu
  
  
• Pneumococcal and meningococcal

Below are clinics, with addresses and numbers to schedule appointments:

Norristown Health Center (NHC)
Montgomery County Human Services Center
1430 DeKalb Street
Norristown, PA  19401
(610) 278-5145
fax: (610) 278-5166
Monday, Hours vary, Appointment needed.
Norristown Immunization Schedule  (En Español)

Pottstown Health Center (PHC)
364 King Street
Pottstown, PA  19464
(610) 970-5040
fax: (610) 970-5048
Wednesday, 2:00 - 6:00 pm, Appointment needed.
Pottstown Immunization Schedule  (En Español)

Montgomery County Eastern Court House Annex (WHC)
102 York Road, Suite 401
Willow Grove, PA  19090
(215) 784-5415
fax: (215) 784-5524
Wednesday, Hours vary, Appointment needed.

Willow Grove Immunization Schedule  (En Español)

(children's clinic) (215) 855-8296
51 Medical Campus Dr., Lansdale
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Well and sick visits $25.00.
Immunizations $15.
Appointment needed