MISSOULA - The Missoula City-County Health Department (MCCHD) will host their first-ever back-to-school immunization clinic on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.
The clinic will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Western Montana Fairgrounds in the Home Arts Building, located off South Avenue. The department’s Immunization Clinic at 301 W. Alder St. will be closed during this time.
All vaccinations required for Missoula area public schools will be available for children in kindergarten through seventh grade. Parents and guardians should bring a photo ID, their child’s vaccination records and their insurance card.
For people who do not have insurance, MCCHD takes part in the Vaccine for Children program, which offers those who qualify a sliding fee scale for low to no-cost vaccinations.
Available kindergarten vaccines include:
- DTaP (prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis/whooping cough in young children)
- IPV (prevents polio)
- MMR (prevents measles, mumps and rubella)
- Varicella (prevents chickenpox)
Available seventh grade booster vaccines include:
- Tdap (prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis/whooping cough in children ages 11 and older)
- HPV (prevents human papilloma virus)
- Meningitis (prevents meningitis)
A news release notes that COVID-19 and flu vaccines will not be available at the back-to-school clinic but will be available in the coming months.
“We recognize that the pandemic impacted families' access to routine care, including routine immunizations,” said MCCHD Director of Health Services Sara Heineman. “It’s important to maintain certain thresholds of vaccine immunity as that is what provides ‘herd immunity’ or ‘community immunity'."
"Lowering those protective thresholds puts everyone at risk of communicable diseases, such as measles and pertussis," Heineman continued. "This can result in lost school days for students and teachers, missed work for parents to care for sick children, and costs associated with medical care and sometimes hospitalization.”
People who are unable to attend Wednesday's clinic can visit the MCCHD's walk-in clinic Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment on Wednesdays.
Those with questions about the Immunization Clinic can call MCCHD at 406-258-3363.
