It’s that time of year where parents of kindergartens and seventh graders have to get immunizations in order to start school. Often time parents of seventh-graders overlook that their student is required to obtain further immunizations when starting this grade.

“You know, I think people just forget that there are more immunizations required. You get them in kindergarten and then nobody bothers you until all of a sudden, you’re in seventh grade and we start saying, guess what, we need some more shots before we start school this year,” said School Nurse, Heidi Yoklovich. On average, kindergarten students will need anywhere from three to four shots if they are up to date on their vaccines. A seventh-grade student needs specific shots, the booster which is better known as Tdap, Varicella and Meningococcal.

Parents first of all need to find their child’s individual immunization record and have that available to take with them to the doctor’s appointment so that they can determine what shots are needed. If parents are unable to locate their child’s immunization records, they may contact their school district or health department who may have it on file. It is a good idea for parents to always keep a back-up copy with their important papers.

The Southeastern Utah Health Department offers walk-in immunization clinics for parents and their students. “Down at the health department we actually have a walk-in immunization clinic, Monday through Thursday and its from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, every day. During that time frame, we have a nurse that is designated just to do immunizations. At this time of year, you might have to wait a little bit just because we get kind of busy,” said Yaklovich. Typically, most health insurances will cover immunizations because they are considered a preventative service. If the clinic hours don’t meet parent’s schedule, they can call 435-637-3671 to make an appointment.

Parents can learn more about immunization services by visiting http://www.immunize-utah.org/index.html