When does my child need to receive his/her shots?
Your child should get their first shot, hepatitis B, before leaving the hospital.  The next immunizations are due at:  2 month, 4 months, 6 months, 12-15 months, 4 -5 years, and 11-12 years.

My child missed some of their shots.  Do they need to start over?
A child that has gotten behind does not have to start over with their shots.

Can everyone come to Health and Community Services for their shots?
To be eligible to receive VFC vaccine at KCHCS children must:

• Be enrolled in Medicaid, or
• Have no medical insurance, or
• Have medical insurance that does not cover any portion of immunization, or
• Be an American Indian or Alaskan Native, or
• Have medical insurance but have exceeded the annual cap for preventive care.

Are there costs for the vaccines?
For those children who qualify for VFC vaccine, there is a $10.00 administration fee for each vaccine received.  Depending on your income and family size you may qualify for a lesser administration fee.  We will bill Medicaid for this administration fee.  We do have a small supply of private vaccine available at market price. Click Here for private insurance billing details.

Can my child get their shots if they have a cold or ear infection?
Children with mild illnesses, such as low-grade fevers, colds, ear infections, and mild diarrhea, can and should be vaccinated.

Is it safe to get so many shots at once?
Yes, it is safe to get several shots at once.  Giving children several shots at one time is not a burden on the immune system, and does not overload or weaken it.  Vaccines contain tiny amounts of viruses or bacteria compared with the large amounts of germs children come into contact with every day.

What side effects could my child have when getting their shots?
Some of the common side effects when getting shots are fussiness, slight fever, soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given.

What can a parent do to make their child feel better?
After receiving shots Acetaminophen can be given to lessen the fever, pain, and inflammation. Do not use Aspirin.  Often placing a cold washcloth where the child received the shot will help them feel better.

Why does my child need chickenpox vaccine?
Your child needs the chickenpox vaccine to protect them from this highly contagious virus. Chickenpox disease can lead to severe skin infections, scars, pneumonia, brain damage, or death.  Thousands of children are hospitalized for chickenpox each year in the United States and many children die each year in the United States as a result of chickenpox.  Most of the hospitalizations and deaths from chickenpox occurred in previously healthy, young children.

What immunizations are recommended for adults?

• All adults should receive a Tetanus-Diphtheria booster shot every 10 years.
• If you were born after 1956, you need at least one shot of Measles-Mumps-Rubella.
• Everyone age 65 or older needs one shot of pneumococcal vaccine.  People who are younger than 65 should get pneumococcal vaccine if they have:  heart disease, liver disease, lung disease, or kidney disease.
• Adults who have not had chickenpox should get a blood test to see if they have protection. If you are not protected, you should get the varicella vaccine.  It takes two shots for chickenpox protection.
• Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A shots are recommended for some adults.  Check with your doctor to see if you need this shot.
• Influenza shots are recommended for all adults who are 50 years of age or older every year in the fall.

When will flu shots be available at Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department?
Influenza shots are usually available in mid-October, if there are no vaccine problems or shortages.

Who should get influenza shots?
People 6 months of age and older at risk for getting a serious case of influenza or influenza complications, and people in close contact with them (including all household members) should get the vaccine.

An annual flu shot is recommended for:

• All children 6 - 23 months of age.
• Household contacts and out-of-home caretakers of infants from 0 - 23 months of age.
• People 50 years of age or older.
• Residents of long-term care facilities housing persons with chronic medical conditions.
• People who have long-term health problems with:

  - heart disease - lung disease - asthma

  - kidney disease - metabolic disease, such as diabetes - anemia, and other blood disorders

• People with a weakened immune system due to:

  - HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system - long-term treatment with drugs such as steroids - cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs

• People 6 months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin treatment (these people could develop Reye Syndrome if they got the flu).
• Women who will be pregnant during influenza season.
• Physicians, nurses, family members, or anyone else coming in close contact with people at risk of serious influenza.
• Anyone else who wants to reduce their chance of catching influenza.

An annual flu shot should be considered for:

• People who provide essential community services.
• People at high risk for flu complications who travel to the Southern hemisphere between April and September, or who travel to the tropics or in organized tourist groups at any time.
• People living in dormitories or under other crowded conditions, to prevent outbreaks.

In the event of a flu vaccine shortage, these recommendations will be prioritized to vaccinate those at highest risk first.

How do I go about getting my immunization records?
Michigan has an Immunization Registry called MCIR (Michigan Childhood Immunization Registry).  For more information on MCIR, visit the MICR web site.

All immunization providers are required by law to enter immunizations given into this secure registry.  If your immunization information is in the registry, you may request a print-out from any participating physician's office or any Health Department.  Calling your last attended high school is another great way to find immunization dates.  High schools will keep immunization records on current and past students for a very long time. For more tips about how to find old immunization records, click here.

If I am unable to find my dates, what do I do?
For some diseases, you may have your blood drawn which could show you have probably had the disease or have been vaccinated in the past.

If immunization dates are required for whatever reason (school, work, travel), you may have to repeat each vaccination series.

Is it harmful to repeat vaccinations?
No, it is not.  It can be costly and can be a lot of "pokes" though.  Repeating the tetanus-diptheria (Td) too frequently can intensify side effects such as pain, redness, and swelling at the site the shot was given.