Immunizations

Don’t wait to vaccinate!

We also accept other private insurances.  Please present your insurance card at check-in.  If a co-pay is required, payment of the co-pay  is expected at time of service.

MINIMUM SCHOOL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• At least 4 doses of DTaP/DTP vaccine with the last dose after the fourth birthday.
• At least 3 doses of OPV/IPV (polio) vaccine with the last dose after the fourth birthday.
• Second dose of MMR is required for school entry into kindergarten.
• Two doses of Varicella (Chicken Pox) are required for all students K-12 (or evidence of disease, please see explanation below)

ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

Tdap (Tetanus, diptheria, and acellular pertussis):  Tdap is required  for students prior to attending 7th grade.  Students currently in grades 8th-12th who have not yet received their Tdap will require a single dose.

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): Two doses are required for school entry.

Varicella (Chickenpox): Two doses are required with 3 months between doses 1 and 2.  If the child is 13 years and older, there only needs to be a minimum 4 weeks between dose 1 and 2.

• Parental verbal report of the child having had chickenpox will not be accepted.
• A healthcare provider can sign off that a child has had a history of chickenpox.  This must be signed off by either a MD, DO, NP or a PA.
• If the child has had chickenpox and cannot get a healthcare provider to sign off, then the child can have a titer done to check for immunity.

ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION RECOMMENDED

Hepatitis A (if not given already) – two dose series.

 Hepatitis B (if not given already) – three dose series.

 Human Papillomavirus (HPV): This vaccine protects against cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV infection can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women, cancers of the penis in men, and cancers of the anus and back of the throat in both men and women. The vaccine also prevents infection with HPV types that cause genital warts in men and women. If the vaccine series is started before the age of 15, two doses of the vaccine spaced six months apart are required. If the series is started at or after the age of 15 years, three doses of the vaccine given over a course of six months are needed. The vaccine is recommended for females and males through the age of 26 years-old. Starting the HPV vaccination series at an early age (11 or 12 years-old), will provide the best protection possible due to the immune system responding better to the vaccine.

 Meningococcal:  This vaccine helps prevent meningitis and blood stream infections. Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial illness which can spread through exchange of respiratory and throat secretions. All children ages 11-12 years old should be vaccinated with meningococcal conjugate vaccine with a booster dose given between the ages of 16 to 18 years old. Adolescents who receive their first dose of meningococcal vaccine at or after age 16 years do not need a booster dose.

 Pneumonia: For high risk adolescents with chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma, heart or lung problems, or whose spleen has been removed.

 Seasonal Influenza (Flu): A yearly dose of Flu vaccine is recommended for anyone who is 6 months of age and older. It is especially essential for teens with chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma, heart or lung problems or whose spleen has been removed.

Immunizations are not just for kids!

Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food and water (fecal – oral route). Periodic outbreaks occur in the United States, sometimes involving food handlers. Montana is among the states with a moderate amount of Hepatitis A cases. The vaccine is a two-dose series spaced 6 to 12 months apart and is recommended for travelers to foreign countries, people with chronic liver disease, people who have blood clotting disorders, or any person who wishes to be immune to Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is spread through contact with blood, objects contaminated with blood, body fluids, and sexual contact. The vaccine is three doses, the first two are one month apart and the third dose is five months later. It is recommended for health care workers, first responders, coaches and teachers and day care workers who may have contact with blood, athletes who may have contact with blood through contact sports, janitors and housekeepers who may have contact with blood or the risk of accidental needle sticks, and adults who travel frequently or for long periods to foreign countries which have a high incidence of Hepatitis B.

Human papillomavirus (HPV): This vaccine protects against cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV infection can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women, cancers of the penis in men, and cancers of the anus and back of the throat in both men and women. The vaccine also prevents infection with HPV types that cause genital warts in men and women. If started after the age of 15 years-old, three doses of the vaccine given over six months are needed.

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): Adults born after 1957 should have received two doses of MMR vaccine. They are required for college students and day care workers.

Pneumococcal Pneumonia: Pneumococcal vaccines prevent a deadly form of bacterial pneumonia which is the most common serious form of pneumococcal disease. Two different pneumococcal vaccines are recommended after the age of 65 years-old. One dose of PCV13 (Prevnar) and one dose of PPSV23 (Pnuemovax) spaced at least one year apart, are recommended for those over the age of 65 years-old.   Also, people of any age may be recommended to receive a pneumococcal vaccine. Those individuals may be those who have chronic heart, lung, or endocrine disorders (such as diabetes), people who have illnesses or take medications that suppress the immune system (e.g. cortisone, prednisone, chemotherapy, etc.), people whose spleen has been removed, and people with serious kidney disease.

Seasonal Influenza (also known as the Flu):  A yearly dose of Flu vaccine is recommended for anyone who is 6 months of age and older, including pregnant women. Medicare will be billed for people who have Medicare Part B.

Td (tetanus-diphtheria): All adults need a Td booster every ten years.

Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis): It was licensed in 2005.  It is the first vaccine for adolescents and adults that protects against all three diseases. It is recommended that all adults ages 19 years and older who have not yet received a dose of Tdap receive a single dose. After receiving Tdap, people should receive Td every 10 years for routine booster immunization against Tetanus and Diphtheria. Pregnant women should receive a Tdap vaccination during each pregnancy.

Varicella (Chickenpox): Adults who never had the disease should receive two doses of varicella vaccine at least one month apart.

Shingrix: Two doses of the vaccine called Shingrix is recommended.  The two doses must be separated two to six months apart.

• CDC – Reasons to Follow Recommended Immunization Schedule

• CDC.gov