As students prepare to return to school, the Hamilton County Health and Social Services Division is urging parents and guardians to ensure their children receive all required and recommended school immunizations.
These vaccinations will help ensure a healthy start to the school year. The Health Department encourages parents and guardians to avoid last-minute rushes and long wait times by planning ahead and getting their children vaccinated early. No appointment is necessary at the 3rd Street or Birchwood Health Department clinics.
Vaccinations are one of the most effective ways to protect children, families, and the community from preventable and potentially life-threatening diseases. By getting immunizations before the school year begins, students can meet Tennessee's school requirements while also helping to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses in classrooms.
The Hamilton County Health & Social Services Division offers school-required and recommended vaccines, including:
- DTaP/Tdap (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis)
- Polio (IPV)
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Hepatitis A & B
- Meningococcal
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (recommended)
The Pediatric Clinic is located inside the Travel and Adult Immunizations Clinic, on the first floor of the west side wing of the Health Department.
Immunization records are available:
- Online by request at health.hamiltontn.org
- In person: at the 3rd Street location’s Golley Auditorium from July 29 through August 12 (8 am – 4 pm)
- Families are encouraged to request records early to avoid last-minute delays before school starts.
The Hamilton County Health and Social Services Division also offers a certified in-house Spanish interpreter at no charge to the public. Additionally, our staff can utilize LanguageLine interpretation services to assist patients and families in various languages.
"Back-to-school season is one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year," said Dr. Stephen Miller, Health Officer for the Hamilton County Health Department. "We encourage families to avoid waiting until the last minute to prevent long wait times. Vaccinating school-aged children now ensures that they are healthy, protected, and ready to learn on the first day of school."
For more information about immunizations, clinic hours, or to request immunization records, visit health.hamiltontn.org or contact the Hamilton County Health & Social Services Division at 423-209-8350 and Press #2 for pediatrics.
Additional resources
- Questions? Call the Health Department at 423-209-8000.
- Free interpretation services are available at all Health Department clinics.
- For Health Department information, visit: Health.HamiltonTN.org