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Time To Get Your Kids Vaccinated For School

Photo by Sanofi Pasteur http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanofi-pasteur/

It’s almost time for children to return to school, and students entering kindergarten or pre-K and the 7th grade are required to be vaccinated. Parents may also request an exemption from state vaccination requirements using this form.

Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services offers vaccinations at two locations in Austin: St. John Community Center on 7500 Blessing Ave and the Far South Health Clinic at 405 West Stassney.  Call 972-5520 to make an appointment. It costs $10, but they won’t turn away people who can’t pay. 

“Usually, people are in an out in around 30 minutes,” Coleen Christian with the city’s health department told KUT News. “But it’s like a doctor’s office. You have to take into account that it may take a bit longer, depending on what the needs of the people are before you.”

More than 100 local doctors also receive free vaccines to immunize children. You can find out who they are by calling 972-5414.

Starting in January, all incoming college students under 30 will have to be vaccinated against meningitis, even those who live off campus. Christian says “this is a perfect time to get it” through their vaccination program.

Austin-Travis County vaccinates about 300 people a week, Christian said. Around this time of year, it’s closer to 400 or 500 per week.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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