The Howard County Health Department is offering free vaccines to students in September.
Elementary school students, kindergarten through fifth grade, can receive the varicella/chickenpox vaccine and seventh through 12th grade students can receive MCV4 & Meningococcal B, meningitis vaccines; HPV, Human Papillomavirus; and Tdap, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, according to the health department.
Students can walk in to the health department on Sept. 3 and 5 to receive the free vaccines between 3 and 7 p.m. The health department is located at 8930 Stanford Blvd. in Columbia.
While no appointments are needed, children must bring a copy of their immunization record.
If a student has already received any of the vaccines being provided, a copy of the record needs to be provided to their respective school.
Other vaccinations not provided by the health department may be required for school.
“Students out of compliance or without evidence of an appointment for necessary immunizations may not be admitted to school,” according to the school system’s website.
In order to attend Howard’s 77 schools, students must have the required state immunizations.
The state requirements for the 2019-20 school year are two doses of the chickenpox vaccine to enter kindergarten through fifth grade and one dose of the Tdap vaccine and one dose of the meningococcal vaccine, both for students entering seventh through 12th grade.
A student’s parents or guardian is responsible for “providing proof of immunization,” to their child’s respective school before the student attends or proof of an appointment to receive the “necessary immunizations,” within 20 calendar days from the first day of school, according to the school system’s website.
Howard schools open Tuesday.
For more information, contact Beth Amstad, a registered nurse at the health department, at 410-313-7592.