DECATUR, Ga. – It’s almost that time! In the coming weeks, the school bell will ring once again for students in DeKalb County, with the City Schools of Decatur starting Aug. 2 and the DeKalb County School District starting Aug. 8.
Beginning Mon., July 25, the DeKalb County Board of Health will kick off the upcoming school year with a rotation of combined and extended clinic hours to help parents make sure their children are first day ready for required health services. Services will include immunizations, vision, hearing, dental and nutrition screenings.
Parents should bring:
- Each child and his/her immunization record.
- Cash, a debit or credit card, or a check drawn from a Georgia bank.
- Each child’s insurance card. The Board of Health accepts Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids and State Health Benefit Plan (Blue Cross/Blue Shield and United HealthCare). Other insurance plans may be accepted. Please call to verify.
The importance of back-to-school immunizations is even more urgent this year than in previous years. According to a report released by the World Health Organization and UNICEF on July 15, the coronavirus pandemic coincided with the largest continued backslide in global vaccination coverage in three decades with average global childhood coverage for vaccines developed for 11 key diseases falling from 71 percent in 2019 to 68 percent in 2021. For more information about school health entry requirements or any of the DeKalb County Board of Health’s services and programs, visit dekalbpublichealth.com or call 404-294-3700.