We all need immunizations (also called vaccines or shots) to help protect us from serious diseases. To help keep our local community safe, Henderson Health Care Services, Inc. is proudly participating in National Immunization Awareness Month.
Shots can prevent infectious diseases like measles, diphtheria, and rubella. But people in the U.S. still die from these and other vaccine-preventable diseases. It’s important to know which shots you need and when to get them.
Young children:
• Children under age 6 get a series of shots to protect against measles, polio, chicken pox, and hepatitis.
Preteens:
• All 11- and 12-year-olds need shots to help protect against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and meningitis.
• Doctors recommend girls also get the HPV vaccine to protect against the most common cause of cervical cancer.
Adults:
• All adults need a tetanus shot every 10 years.
• People age 65 need a one-time pneumonia shot.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse about which shots you and your family need.
Henderson Health Care Services currently offers the Vaccines for Children (VFC), which is vaccine supply program. Children, from birth through 18 years of age, must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for reduced vaccine rates through VFC.
- Be enrolled in Medicaid or the Kids Connections Program
- Have no health insurance coverage
- Be an American Indian or Alaskan Native Resident
- Considered underinsured: Has health insurance, but benefit does not include immunizations.
Talk to your doctor or nurse to find out which immunizations you need and if you qualify for the Vaccines for Children program. For more information, visit the Henderson Health Care Services Clinics in Henderson or Sutton to speak to the physicians or nurses about immunizations for you and your family by calling (402) 723-4512.
Kelsey Bergen
