Back-to-School Immunizations

Back to school is right around the corner, meaning it’s time for child immunizations.

Ohio state law requires children to be up-to-date on vaccinations to help prevent infectious diseases and reduce spread. Registered Public Health Nurse, Jamie Heinzman, said the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department will be running back to school clinic hours mid-August through early September.

“It’s important to have those up-to-date, because in school they’re sharing a lot of germs, when you’re at home you’re kind of in your own home and with stuff that you have immunities to, and when you go off to school you’re exposed to other people’s germs and stuff that you may not have immunities against, not per say that all of those are vaccine preventable, but you’re kind of exposed to more when you’re around more people with different immune systems,” Heinzman said.

Also, August is National Immunization Awareness Month and the health department celebrated with a contest for the kids during the public library’s summer reading program.

“It featured what we call ‘herd immunity’ and we asked the kids to come up with what they thought of when they heard the term ‘herd immunity’ and any kind of drawing they could come up with, we were able to get four different submissions, so we presented them with their prizes today,” Heinzman said.

Nine-year-old Rebecca Spohn of New Concord won first place, and all finalists received cash prizes.