County kids receive free vaccinations

MINERAL COUNTY – In an effort to nip serious illnesses in the bud, the Mineral County Health Department administered a cocktail of vaccinations to students of the Mineral County schools.

The health department nurses mainly administered Tdap vaccines. These are vaccines against Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. If someone was due for a booster, they also had meningitis vaccines available. There were two types of vaccines available. One was a vaccine provided by the state and the other was a private vaccine, which would be charged to an insurance provider.

“There are some vaccines that are free under the state provided vaccines, but there is a criteria you must meet in order to receive that vaccine,” said Peggy Stevens, a nurse at the health department.

According to Stevens, the free vaccines were only available to people without insurance or whose insurance did not cover vaccinations. They could also be given to Native Americans and people on Medicaid.

The events were no different than the immunization clinics the health department normally holds throughout the year. Stevens said the goal was to make vaccines available to anyone, regardless of their financial status.

Sixth graders and high school seniors are normally targeted for vaccinations this time of year. State law requires students have Tdap vaccinations before moving into seventh grade. Many colleges also require a recent Tdap immunization for new students.

This was the second time the vaccinations have been offered in the county this year. A recent outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, caused the health department to offer the vaccine earlier than normal. Stevens said making sure everyone was fully immunized was an important part of preventing the spread of the disease.

This earlier clinic was slightly different than the ones last week. The school’s faculty and the community were welcome to get treated as well.

“It was also used as a preventative method in regards to the pertussis,” Stevens said.

The clinics were held in Superior and Alberton on Tuesday, March 4. On Wednesday, March 5, they went to St. Regis.

Stevens felt the clinics were a good way to make the vaccine available to the students who need it. She said holding the clinics at the schools was more convenient for many parents than doing them at a health center or the health department office.

Stevens said the communities responded well to the clinics. She thought the convenience of the program was appealing to parents because it did not require a special trip to a doctor or the health department.

“Our thinking was two fold,” Stevens said. “One was to capture the group in the schools that needed the update of the Tdap. Also to get a step ahead in giving those inoculations to all those kids and the staff members and community members that needed the Tdap due to the pertussis.”

Stevens wanted to remind the community immunizations are the best way to prevent illness. She recommended parents make sure to get immunizations or booster vaccines for their kids and themselves to keep everyone healthy.

More information on the Tdap vaccines can be found by contacting the health department at 822-3564.