NASHVILLE, TN | By Donna Vissman | July 24, 2017
Original article can be found at: http://williamsonsource.com/
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As the back-to-school season draws near, Connectus Health is doing its part to ensure that local children are fit and receive required immunizations before school resumes.
Throughout the month of July, the community health clinic is offering free physicals and vaccinations for children at its Vine Hill (Nashville) and Priest Lake locations.
It is recommended that children receive a preventative physical yearly, in addition to any sports physicals or physicals required upon starting school. Insurance will be billed for those who are covered — as is customary with routine physicals — but the Connectus team is able to assist those who are currently uninsured as well.
Formerly University Community Health Services, Connectus Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides high-quality, affordable, holistic healthcare for the entire community, including the vulnerable and the under- and uninsured.
The Connectus team serves Nashville and surrounding communities with care customized to each patient, including free translation services offered in a multitude of languages and culturally sensitive care.
Those interested in bringing their children for free physicals or vaccinations should call 615-292-9770 for the Vine Hill clinic, located at 601 Benton Ave, Nashville 37204 and the Priest Lake clinic, located at 2637 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville 37217.
Additional services are available but may incur a cost.
Requirements for school vaccinations in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, are:
• Kindergarteners and other children enrolling in a Tennessee school for the first time must provide schools with a complete Official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes begin. The certificate must be signed by a qualified healthcare provider or verified by the state’s Immunization Information System.
• All current students entering seventh grade are required to give the school a limited Official Tennessee Immunization Certificate showing they have had a second dose of chickenpox vaccine (or a history of the illness) and a booster shot for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The HPV cancer vaccine and first meningococcal meningitis vaccine are not required for school attendance, but are recommended by pediatricians and public health experts for all children at this age and can be given at the same visit.
• Incoming college students in Tennessee public colleges who will live in on-campus housing must provide proof of immunization against meningococcal meningitis after age 16. Most private colleges also have requirements for this vaccine and some schools require it of all new students. Check with your college for details.
For more information about school immunization requirements in Tennessee, visit http://tn.gov/health/article/required-immunizations.
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