August is National Immunization Awareness Month
Health Department Stresses Importance of Vaccines for All Ages
Vaccines play a vital role in the health of individuals and communities. Vaccines offer protection from many different diseases, such as measles, tetanus, polio, hepatitis, and influenza.
Whether you are having a baby, traveling to a new country, or preparing your children to go back to school, vaccines are recommended and often required to help protect you and your family.
Before you know it, it will be back to school time. New York State requires specific vaccines, and if not up to date, your child could be excluded from attending school. Make sure your children are prepared by being up to date on all required immunizations and recommended vaccinations. Do not wait to schedule appointments. Providers may not be able to accommodate last-minute appointments.
The vaccine recommendations depend on many factors including age, pregnancy, lifestyle, and health conditions. Some vaccines, like flu, are recommended seasonally. Other vaccines are recommended based on a person’s age, occupation, health status, or other risk factors, like shingles, pneumococcal or HPV. The Hepatitis A vaccine was introduced in the mid-1990s and now is part of children’s routine vaccinations. However, those of us who are older may have not received it yet. It is also important to consider certain vaccines when traveling outside of the United States especially in countries where vaccine preventable diseases are more present. For more specific information, visit the New York State Department of Health at: https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/.
“Vaccines are an extremely valuable tool to protect the community from serious and deadly diseases,” said Oneida County Health Director Daniel W. Gilmore, Ph.D., MPH. “Contact your healthcare provider to make sure you are up to date and to discuss any questions you may have. Call your children’s pediatrician to make sure they are up to date. If you do not have a healthcare provider, you should contact the county health department.”
The Oneida County Health Department (OCHD) Utica clinic, located at 406 Elizabeth Street, is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The OCHD Rome clinic, located at 100 W. Dominick Street, is open on Tuesdays, with walk-ins accepted from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and appointments available in the afternoon. The OCHD Utica clinic will extend hours until 6 p.m. on:
- Thursday, September 11th
- Thursday, September 18th
- Wednesday, October 1st
- Wednesday, October 8th
Appointments are preferred and can be made by calling 315-798-5747.
OCHD’s Mobile Public Health unit is available to bring vaccines to a place near you. If you would like to book the mobile unit for your agency or an event, please visit: https://oneidacountyny.gov/departments/health/programs-and-services/clinics/mobile-public-health-vehicle-request/.
