By Hope Kadlecek
With the summer ending, it is officially back to school season! This can be a time full of excitement, anxiety and unknowns. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) knows families have a lot on their plate during this time – prioritizing health might not seem like the top concern when there are fun planners to pick out, but it’s important to start out the school year as safe and protected as possible. Children and teens of all ages need their recommended vaccines and our clinic can be a one-stop shop for all members of the family, no matter their age and no matter what vaccine they need. Even though vaccine schedules are more spaced out for adolescents, it is still vital they receive recommended immunizations on-time, including Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), meningococcal and HPV. The HPV vaccine, in particular, has been proven to prevent certain types of cancer later in life for those who receive it prior to exposure to the HPV virus. This vaccine is for both boys and girls and is recommended starting at age 9 to ensure maximum efficacy.
We’ve seen how illness can stop the world as we know it, and staying up to date on vaccines is a way to empower our community and children to proactively step into this school year. We have seen first-hand the important, positive impacts of routine immunization that follows medical, scientific recommendations. Though the COVID-19 public health emergency has officially ended, the disease is still present in our community and it is important we each do what we can to keep our schools healthy, safe and open, no matter what respiratory virus season looks like in Jeffco. In addition, ripple effects from the pandemic are continuing to affect vaccination among our community’s children. During the early years of COVID-19, many parents delayed immunization appointments and we are continuing to get back-on-track. If you’re unsure of where your kids are at with vaccines, JCPH nurses can access all vaccine records that have been entered into the Colorado Immunization Information System and use that baseline knowledge to recommend anything clients may need.
As a community we can take a science-driven approach to vaccination across the board and keep our community safer for all people. Vaccines are safe, healthy, effective and easy to access.
JCPH will be offering several weekend vaccine clinics as part of the statewide Shots for Tots and Teens program. These clinics will take place at our Lakewood location (645 Parfet St.), from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2. Learn more. To schedule your back-to-school vaccine appointment today, please make an appointment by calling 303-239-7078. Learn more about immunization services at JCPH.
About Jefferson County Public Health
Public health is what we do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is a nationally accredited health department committed to promoting and protecting health across the lifespan for all people through prevention, education and partnerships. To learn more about JCPH visit https://www.jeffco.us/public-health. You can also follow JCPH on Twitter @JeffcoPH, Instagram @JeffcoPH and Facebook @jeffcopublichealth.
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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