Panama City, Fla.— The Florida Department of Health in Bay County (DOH-Bay) is providing all Immunization Services by appointment only. This includes back to school shots that are needed for children to start school.
“We have begun taking appointments for children to get their school vaccinations. Due to the high demand, I encourage parents to begin making appointments for back to school shots sooner rather than later,” said Sandon S. Speedling, MHS, CPM, CPH, Administrator and Health Officer, DOH-Bay, “My staff and I want to ensure that we are able to provide the immunizations your child needs to start school and avoid preventable illness.”
Please call (850) 872-4455 to schedule an immunizations appointment for the following services:
- International Travel Vaccines
Guardians must provide a Florida Certification of Immunization (DH 680 form), documenting the following vaccinations:
Public/Private Schools Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade:
- Four or five doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine
- Three doses of hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine
- Three, four or five doses of polio (IPV) vaccine
- Two doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
- Two doses of varicella vaccine for K-12
Seventh Grade:
In addition to kindergarten through twelfth grade vaccines, students entering or
attending seventh grade need the following vaccinations:
- One dose of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in grades seven through
twelve - An updated DH 680 form to include Tdap, must be obtained for submission to the
school
Parents of middle and high school students should also give consideration for two optional vaccines; those are for meningitis and HPV. The CDC states that all 11 to 12-year-olds should be vaccinated against meningococcal disease, with a booster at age 16. The meningitis vaccination is especially important for those participating in sports teams that may likely be in close quarters and drink after each other. The HPV shot is recommended for 11 to 12-year-old boys and girls and aids in protecting both from certain types of cancers and genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is recognized that teens who become active sexually have an 80-percent chance of contracting HPV. Prevention is a key to stop this type of cancer. One vaccine can stop this form of cancer for boys or girls and prevent the spread of disease in future partners.
Please see a list below of services that do not require an appointment. You can request these services via email at [email protected]. A call back will be provided when forms are ready for pick-up, or if additional vaccines are required to schedule an appointment.
- Out of state records transferred to Florida 680 Form (for school registration)
- College Forms (for college entry)
For more information regarding immunizations and other preventive health measures, please call 850-872-4455 or visit the DOH-Bay website at Bay.FloridaHealth.gov or follow us on Twitter at @FLHealthEmerald. For details on immunization requirements, call 1-877-888-7468 or visit ImmunizeFlorida.org.
About the Florida Department of Health
The Florida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.
