Wayne Allen

PDT Staff Writer

Gov. John Kasich has declared June as teen immunization month. In response, the Scioto County Health Department will be holding two after-hours immunization clinics for those entering the seventh grade to get their required booster shots.

“All seventh-graders in Ohio are new required to have a tetanus booster before entering seventh grade,” said Ruth Montavon, director of nursing for the Scioto County Health Department.

The tetanus booster also includes a booster for Pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

“For quite a while there has been an increase in whooping cough,” Montavon said.

She said the symptoms of whooping cough start out like a cold.

“Adults can have whooping cough and not even know it so they may not get treatment and spread it to others. Most infants diagnosed with whooping cough get it from parents, siblings or adult caregivers,” Montavon said.

She said the health department is holding the clinics to give working parents a chance to get their child the required booster shot.

“The recommendation is for the booster to be a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.) Other recommended vaccines at this age are chicken pox booster, meningitis, hepatitis A, gardasil (for human papillomavirus). These vaccines can be given at the same time as the Tdap. All of these vaccines will be available at the clinics,” Montavon said.

The child’s immunization record must be presented to participate in the clinic.

“The health department is asking a $10 administration fee at the time of the shot. We will not turn anyone away but and we accept all types of Medicaid,” Montavon said.

The clinics will be held Tuesday, June 26, and Thursday, June 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Scioto County Health Department is inside the Scioto County Courthouse in Portsmouth.

For more information or to make an appointment for the clinics, call 740-354-3241.

Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 208, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.