Nashville Back To School Shots: Metro Health Department Sets Extra Vaccination Hours

NASHVILLE, TN — Metro Nashville Public School students will head back to school August 7 and all students from kindergarten through 12th grade must have proof of immunizations before they can matriculate. The Metro Public Health Department will be adding After Hours Back to School Shot Clinics offering immunizations required for school.

It is important to bring the student’s shot record when visiting the Health Department for the required immunizations. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

The After Hours Back to School Shot Clinic hours at Woodbine Public Health Clinic at 224 Oriel Avenue will be July 20, July 27, August 3 and August 10 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the Lentz Public Health Center at 2500 Charlotte Avenue, the clinic will be August 1 and August 8 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All three public health clinics offer shots Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All three are walk-in clinics with no appointments.

Requirements for school vaccinations in Tennessee include:

• Kindergarteners and other children enrolling in a Tennessee school for the first time must provide schools with a complete Official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes begin. The certificate must be signed by a qualified healthcare provider or verified by the state’s Immunization Information System.
• All current students entering seventh grade are required to give the school a limited Official Tennessee Immunization Certificate showing they have had a second dose of chickenpox vaccine or a history of the illness and a booster shot for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The HPV vaccine and first meningococcal meningitis vaccine are not required for school attendance, but are recommended by pediatricians and public health experts for all children at this age and can be given at the same visit.
• Incoming college students in Tennessee public colleges who will live in on-campus housing must provide proof of immunization against meningococcal meningitis after age 16. Most private colleges also have requirements for this vaccine and some schools require it of all new students. Check with your college for details.

For more information about school immunization requirements in Tennessee, visit School Immunization Information.

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