Jackson Park Hospital Offers Free Vaccinations

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Health authorities want to remind parents that children should receive a regular series of vaccinations, starting at age two months, to protect them from the potentially deadly diseases.
Health authorities want to remind parents that children should receive a regular series of vaccinations, starting at age two months, to protect them from the potentially deadly diseases.

The Chicago Care Van Program, a mobile health service of the Chicago Department of Public Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, will offer free vaccinations as part of Jackson Park Hospital & Medical Center’s Annual Health Fair this Saturday.

“Margo Brooks-Pugh, vice president of development at Jackson Park Hospital said, “We’re happy the van was available from the City and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to benefit the children of South Shore and their back to school effort of requiring pre immunizations and we have Ald. Michelle Harris to thank for that.”

The Health Fair will take place from 10 am to 2 pm. Saturday, Aug. 24, at Jackson Park Hospital & Medical Center, 7531 Stony Island Avenue.

Hosted by Jackson Park Hospital, the local Care Van visit will offer measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio vaccinations.

Appointments are not required but parents or guardians must bring all records of vaccinations their children have received in the past.

Health authorities want to remind parents that infants should receive a regular series of vaccinations, starting at age two months, to protect them from the potentially deadly diseases mentioned above.

Hypertension, vision, diabetes, obesity and STD screenings will also be available, along with information on cancer education and prevention.

Free pregnancy and HDI/AIDS tests will also be conducted.

The entire family is welcome. The hospital promises something for all age groups from the Women Infants and Children’s Program (WIC) to the Department of Aging.

Face painting and snow cones for the children and free refreshments for all.

For more information, please call, (773) 947-7525.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information (CDC):

Vaccines for Your Young Children (Newborns through 6 years old)

During the early years of life, your children need vaccines to protect them from 14 diseases that can be serious, even life-threatening. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their own children increase the risk of disease not only for their children, but also for other children and adults throughout the entire community. For example, vulnerable newborns too young to have received the maximum protection from the recommended doses of vaccines or people with weakened immune systems, such as some people with cancer and transplant recipients, are also at higher risk of disease.

Flu vaccines are recommended for kids in preschool and elementary school to help keep them healthy. In fact, all children 6 months and older should get flu vaccines. Getting all of your children vaccinated—as well as other family members and caregivers—can help protect infants younger than 6 months old. Ask your family's doctor or nurse about getting flu shots or the nasal spray to protect against flu.

Vaccines for Your Preteens and Teens (7 years old through 18 years old)

Older children need vaccines, too! Of course, everyone older than 6 months of age is recommended to receive a yearly flu vaccination, and older children are no exception. It's important to know that flu can be serious, even for healthy young people. So older kids should get at least one flu vaccine (the shot or nasal spray for healthy kids) every year.

For other diseases, like whooping cough, the protection from vaccine doses received in childhood wears off over time. That's why 11- and 12-year-olds are also recommended to get the booster shot called Tdap. Teens—and adults, too—who have not gotten Tdap should get this booster as soon as possible. Tdap is a version of the DTaP vaccine given to infants and young children.

The CDC provides an immunization schedule for people ages 7 through 18 years for parents and doctors to protect children and teens from vaccine-preventable disease. To learn more, visit cdc.gov.

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