Child/School Immunizations

Immunizations are an important part of your child’s health care, beginning in early infancy.

• Five visits to your immunization provider are needed between the ages of two months and two years to protect your child from eleven serious and potentially deadly diseases
• An additional series of immunizations is due prior to school entry between the ages of 4-6 years old.
• In Tennessee, the only exemptions from these immunization requirements for school or daycare entry are medical or religious exemption.

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View the Most Current CDC Updated Vaccination Schedules for Children Here
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Parents can learn more about vaccines from the CDC's " For Parents: Vaccines for Your Children."

We have in-house interpreters for persons who speak Spanish and access to Language Line, a service that can provide interpreting services over the telephone for more than 170 other languages.  Please let us know at the front desk what your preferred language is so that we may accommodate you.

Immunizations are available from the Health Department or from your doctor. Some pharmacies provide immunizations for older children. 

The following children age 6 weeks to 18 years may receive vaccines at the Health Department:

1. Children who have insurance we can bill (Tenncare, CoverKids, Some BlueCross/BlueShield plans) 
2. Children who have insurance we cannot bill (in this case the charge will be 100% and it will be the client's responsibility to submit for reimbursement from insurance)
3. Children who qualify for VFC vaccine (see section labeled VFC Program below)
4. Immigrants/Refugees who need vaccines (Please see section labeled Refugee below)

The Health Department is a VFC (Vaccines for Children) provider.

The following children, less than 19 years old, may receive VFC vaccine:

• Children who have no insurance, 
• Children who have TennCare (even if they have primary coverage by another insurance), or
• Children who are of American Indian or Alaskan Native (“Native American”) ethnicity
• Children who are underinsured, meaning:
  
  1. The child has private insurance, but the benefits do not include vaccines, or
  2. The child’s private insurance only pays for vaccines through a specific “wellness” benefit that also must be used to pay for other well-child services, or
  3. The child’s private insurance pays for some vaccines, but not others. VFC vaccine can be given for those vaccines not covered by the insurance.
  
  
  

Children from birth through 18 years old who qualify for VFC vaccine are only charged for the administration of the vaccine – this charge may be reduced or waived based on the family income and size. 

Please note: VFC vaccines cannot be provided to children who have medical insurance that provides vaccines. 

The clinic will accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit and debit cards. They can take Health Savings Account (HSA’s) cards as long as they have a Visa or MasterCard logo.

Immigration/Refugee Immunizations

Please bring the following with you:

• I-94 Card
• A- Card
• Passport
• Any Vaccine records you may have
• Social Security Card (If available)
• Additional Photo ID (If available)
• Insurance cards  (If available)
• Custody papers if you are not the biological parent
• Method of payment
• If you park in our parking garage, bring your ticket for validation for free parking

Immigration/Refugee immunization visits for children are done on a walk in basis. Paperwork can take a week or more to be completed. The nurse will provide you an estimated time for pickup at the vaccination visit. There is a $20 charge for each set of paperwork completed. There may also be additional fees if immunizations are administered. Please call with any questions about potential charges. Payment is due at the time you pick up your completed paperwork. 

 

In addition to the in house services we provide, we have a team that focuses on the State Immunization program. Our Immunization Project team consists of representatives for the Vaccines For Children’s Program (VFC), a representative for the Tennessee Immunization Information System (TennIIs), and a Public Health Representative that performs daycare immunization audits and monitors the immunization status of the children in our county. This team works hard to ensure that our county’s children are protected from vaccine preventable illnesses which makes for healthier community.

Children who start pre-school, pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 7th grade, or are a new student starting school in Tennessee for the first time, will need an official Tennessee Certificate of Immunization to provide to the school or child care provider when asked for an immunization certificate. A list of the required vaccines is below. If you have questions about what vaccines your child has had, talk to your child’s healthcare provider. Parents and guardians must get the certificate from a health department or health care provider licensed in Tennessee. You can find out more about the vaccine requirements online at http://health.state.tn.us/CEDS/required.htm or you can contact your healthcare provider or local health department.

Children enrolling in child care facilities, pre-school, pre- Kindergarten

Infants entering child care facilities must be up to date at the time of enrollment and are required to provide an updated certificate after completing all of the required vaccines due by 18 months of age.

• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
• Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (1 dose of each, usually given together as MMR)
• Varicella (1 dose or history of disease)
• Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) – age younger than 5 years only
• Hepatitis B (HBV) (July 1, 2010)
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – age younger than 5 years only (July 1, 2010)
• Hepatitis A – 1 dose, required by 18 months of age or older (July 1, 2010)

Children enrolling in Kindergarten:

• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
• Hepatitis B (HBV)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR)
• Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV) – final dose on or after the 4th birthday now required
• Varicella (2 doses or history of disease): previously only one dose was required (July 1, 2010)
• Hepatitis A –total of 2 doses, spaced at least 6 months apart (July 1, 2011)

All children entering 7th grade (including currently enrolled students)

• Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster (“Tdap”) – evidence of one Tdap dose given any time before 7^th grade entry is required regardless of Td history (2013 update)
• Verification of immunity to varicella – 2 doses or history of disease (July 1, 2010)

Children who are new enrollees in a TN school in grades other than Kindergarten or 7th

• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR)
• Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV) – final dose on or after the 4th birthday now required
• Varicella (2 doses or history of disease) – previously only one dose was required
• Hepatitis B (HBV) – previously only for Kindergarten, 7th grade entry

Full-time Tennessee college students

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR): if born on or after January 1, 1957 only.
• Varicella (2 doses or history of disease): if born on or after January 1, 1980 only, Effective (July 1, 2011)
• Meningococcal vaccine (new requirement) – 1 dose on or after the 16 ^th birthday for freshmen moving into on-campus housing who are younger than 22.

Hepatitis B (HBV) – only for health science students expected to have patient contact (before patient contact begins) Effective (July 1, 2011)

For more information, visit the Tennessee Department of Health Immunization page at https://www.tennesseeiis.gov/tnsiis/

To create a custom vaccination schedule for your child 0-6 years, visit the CDC's Instant Childhood Immunization Schedule.

• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) – all adolescents should have one dose of Tdap, then a Td (tetanus/diphtheria) every ten years
• Meningococcal – 2 doses recommended between ages 11 through 18 years. Incoming college students, ages 19 through 21 years, who are not previously vaccinated should get 1 dose. Students younger than 22 years old who received a previous dose of meningococcal vaccine more than 5 years earlier, should get a booster dose.
• HPV- 3 doses recommended for adolescents ages 9 through 26 years
• Varicella – 2 doses for those who have not been previously vaccinated and have not had chickenpox
• MMR – 2 doses for those who have not been previously vaccinated
• Minors age 16 & 17 may come in for immunization services without a parent if the Immunization Consent Form for Minors is completed, signed and sent with the minor.
• Immunization Consent Form - English
• Immunization Consent Form - Spanish

To learn more about vaccines, visit http://www.immunize.org/, http://www.immunizationinfo.org/, and http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/.  To find a local clinic, click here.

From Downtown Chattanooga: Exit US 27 northbound or southbound at Fourth St. Continue east on Fourth St. As the road curves after crossing Georgia Ave., keep to the right and road becomes Third St. After passing Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences (CSAS) and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department (CHCHD) on the left, turn left at the next traffic light onto Hampton St. (runs between Health Dept. and Erlanger Medical Center). Look for parking garage ahead on the left. Turn in where a blue awning covers the entrance - across the street from the Adult Emergency Department at Erlanger Medical Center.

Parking at 3rd St. location: You can park in the garage that we share with Erlanger Medical Center. It is the closest parking to the Health Department and it's free with validation. Take a ticket from the machine and bring it with you to the clinic for validation. Follow signs in the garage to “Health Department.” The pediatric clinic is located in the east building on the second floor.