ST. LOUIS — The school year is right around the corner for many St. Louis families. Items like backpacks, notebooks and shoes are on most back-to-school shopping lists, but vaccinations can be just as important.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, routine vaccinations are a great tool to keep kids healthy, in school and ready to learn. The department said vaccines can optimize student health by providing immunity and preventing disease outbreaks, reducing the spread of disease in school and reducing the duration of disease and number of school days missed due to poor health.
Both Missouri and Illinois require vaccinations for students. The Illinois health department has minimum requirements from the 2022-23 school year, and Missouri has listed the 2023-24 school year requirements.
For more information about immunizations in Missouri and Illinois, click the following links.
The CDC has a quiz to determine what immunizations your child may need to catch up on.
Where you can get shots
In order to help residents get vaccinated, the St. Louis County Health Department is expanding walk-in vaccine clinic hours for back-to-school immunizations. The new hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The extended hours will be at all three clinics, the John C. Murphy Health Center, the North Central Community Health Center and the South County Health Center.
Immunizations and COVID-19 vaccines will be offered at little to no cost.
If you have insurance, bring your card. You should also bring your child’s immunization records.
Missouri also has a program called Vaccines for Children, which is funded by the CDC and provides free vaccines to children who qualify.
Children are eligible to receive free vaccines before their 19th birthday who:
- are Medicaid-eligible;
- do not have health insurance;
- are an American Indian or Alaskan Native; or
- are underinsured.
You can find more information, including vaccination locations, on the health department's website.