Parents in Multnomah County are encouraged to take advantage of catch-up vaccination clinics offered by local health authorities. The next clinic will be held today from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at McDaniel High School Gym, located at 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave., Portland, OR. This initiative is a joint effort between Multnomah County, Multnomah Education Service District, and Portland Public School District to assist families in ensuring their children have the required immunizations before school exclusion day on Feb. 19, as reported by Multnomah County's website.
The free clinics are targeting youth between the ages of 5 to 19. No appointment is necessary, and services are available to families regardless of insurance coverage, with no ID required. However, long wait times are expected, and families are advised that visits will take at least an hour. Language interpreters will be on-site to aid with communication needs. The clinics are part of a wider effort to protect the community from vaccine-preventable diseases, offering a range of immunizations from influenza to HPV and MMR.
Parents were notified if their child's vaccination records were lacking information, and roughly 5,000 families in Multnomah County had received school exclusion warnings as of last Wednesday, according to Multnomah County's announcement. About 109,000 children and students are required each year to meet immunization laws to attend schools, preschools, and childcare facilities. In partnership with CareOregon, a final vaccination clinic will be available on the exclusion day from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the CareOregon Boys & Girls Club Rockwood.
Multnomah County provides year-round immunization options for those unable to attend the upcoming sessions. Families can access vaccines through Student Health Centers located at local high schools, which do not require a student to be enrolled at the facility to get care, Community Immunization Clinics that operate by appointment only, and Primary Care Clinics catering to low or no-cost vaccinations for children. Washington County residents may also visit the Neighborhood Health Center's school-based health centers on Feb. 14, 18, and 19. These offer free immunizations to families affiliated with the Beaverton and Tualatin school districts; no insurance or ID is needed. Appointments for vaccination in Washington County can be scheduled by calling the respective health centers in Beaverton or Tigard.
