Free vaccinations are available throughout Clark County. Vaccinations protect children from many serious diseases and are required to attend school. Children who do not meet vaccination requirements may be excluded from school.
The chickenpox vaccine requirement has changed for the 2016-17 school year. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade must get two doses of the vaccine or have a health care provider document that they already have had chickenpox.
All vaccines required for school are free for youth up to age 19. Some providers may charge an administrative fee. Parents who can’t afford the fee may ask to have it waived.
Families without a regular health care provider can get free back-to-school vaccinations at the following locations. Bring your child’s immunization records.
• 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, 7410 E. Delaware Lane, for ages 2 months through 18 years. Appointments: 360-566-4402.
• 5 to 7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Free Clinic of SW Washington, 4100 Plomondon St., 360-313-1390, walk-in, uninsured children only.
• 2 to 6 p.m. Aug. 16, LaCamas Medical Group, 3240 N.E. Third Ave., Camas; 360-838-2440, walk-in, no kindergartners.
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 19, Go Ready! Back-to-School Readiness Festival, Hudson’s Bay High School, 1601 E. McLoughlin Blvd., 360-313-4719 or www.vansd.org/goready
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 10, Camas for Kids Day, Doc Harris Stadium, 1125 N.E. 22nd Ave., Camas, no kindergartners.
Most students in Washington have the vaccinations necessary to attend school. However, 4.2 percent of the state’s K-12 students were exempted for religious or personal reasons in the 2015-16 school year.
Clark County’s K-12 vaccine exemption rate is 6.7 percent, and ranges from 0 to 33.3 percent in various local schools.
For details, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents and www.vaccineinformation.org.
