Immunizations offered Vegas schoolchildren in August

Are vaccines on your back-to-school checklist?

The Southern Nevada Immunization and Health Coalition will host immunization clinics throughout August to help children and families get ready for the new school year.

The immunizations will be provided free of charge.

All event sites will include the “3-2-1 Vaccine Countdown” —it includes three doses of HPV, two doses of Meningococcal and one dose of the Tdap vaccine (which is required for those entering the seventh grade and is recommended for 11- and 12-year-olds), as well as the immunizations required to start kindergarten.

“While families with newborns and toddlers are often well-informed of their immunization schedule, awareness seems to decrease as children get older, despite the importance of additional vaccines for tweens in middle school between the ages of 11 and 12 years of age,” said Stacey Gross, manager of the coalition, in a statement. “This year we are offering the ‘3-2-1 Vaccine Countdown’ to help fully protect the health of this vulnerable adolescent population.”

For more information and the immunization schedule, visit vaxvegas.org or call 702-616-4915.

Contact Andrea Corral at acorral@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285. Find her on Twitter: @andrea_corral2.