By MATT PIKE
With the start of the school year just around the corner, local health officials are issuing a firm reminder to parents: get your students vaccinated now, or risk having them turned away on day one.
Under district guidelines, students are prohibited from attending class without current immunization records. The St. Joseph School District kicks off its school year on Tuesday, August 25th, while most area private schools will open their doors next week. To handle the annual rush, the St. Joseph Health Department, located at 904 S. 10th St., is temporarily shifting its full focus toward student vaccinations.
From Wednesday, August 19th through Wednesday, August 26th, the department will pause all other routine clinic services to dedicate its resources entirely to school immunizations. Clinic officials are strongly encouraging families not to wait until the last minute. Parents are reminded that:
- The clinic will operate exclusively on a walk-in basis for school immunizations.
- Clinic Hours will run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Staff recommend arriving before 10:30 a.m. for morning visits or before 3:30 p.m. for afternoon visits to avoid the heaviest crowds.
St. Joseph health officials warn that families waiting until August 25th or 26th will face substantial wait times and their children will miss the first days of school.
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