(ITHACA, NY, August 13, 2024) – Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) is joining the nation in celebrating National Immunization Awareness Month this August. This is an annual opportunity for the public health community to encourage everyone to stay up to date on routine immunizations. Immunization is particularly important for infants, school-aged children, people who are pregnant, who are immunocompromised, and who are over the age of 65.
Vaccines protect us from many diseases, including polio, measles, tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis A and B. Vaccines also reduce the severity of other illnesses, including the flu, RSV and COVID-19. High rates of vaccination reduce the stress on the healthcare system, especially during respiratory illness season from early fall to early spring.
TCWH urges everyone to talk to their healthcare provider to ensure you are up to date on your vaccinations. Some vaccines require annual boosters, such as the vaccines for the flu and for COVID-19. The adult immunization schedule is available on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. Many vaccines are available at local pharmacies and medical offices. Facilities should be contacted directly for additional information and availability.
Additionally, TCWH is reminding the community how important it is for children to be up to date on routine immunizations prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations. On-time vaccination is critical to provide protection against potentially life-threatening diseases.
All children must be immunized to attend school in New York State, unless they are medically exempt. A medical exemption is allowed when a child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. There are no non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements in NYS.
If you are unsure of your child’s immunization history, speak with your child’s school nurse or contact your child’s healthcare provider.
Children who are not fully immunized can only continue to attend school or pre-K if they are in the process of completing their immunization according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) catch-up schedule. If children are following other immunization schedules that do not meet the intervals specified by the ACIP catch-up schedule, then they are no longer considered to be “in process” and must be excluded from school, if not otherwise exempt.
Within 14 days of the first day of school or day care, parents or caregivers must:
- Show proof of their child's up-to-date vaccinations, OR
- Provide a valid medical exemption from vaccination.
In order to attend or remain in school or day care, children who are unvaccinated or overdue must receive at least the first dose of all required vaccines within the first 14 days. They also must receive subsequent vaccines in the series within a 14-day period of when they are due to complete the immunization series.
Tompkins County Whole Health offers immunization clinics every Friday through the New York State funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Clinics are open from 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm by appointment. Your child may be eligible for participation in our Friday clinics if they:
- No tienen seguro.
- Están actualmente inscritos en Medicaid.
- Tienen Child Health Plus.
- Are underinsured: their insurance does not cover the vaccine
- Son nativos americanos o nativos de Alaska.
Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedule at cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.
Learn more about Whole Health’s Community Health Services online at tompkinscountyny.gov/health/immunizations or call the office directly at 607-274-6604.
Tompkins County Whole Health envisions a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/TompkinsWholeHealth and on Twitter at @TCWholeHealth. Get Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text, sign up here.
Media contact: Shannon Alvord, salvord@tompkins-co.org
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