Immunizations
Middle School Clinics:
There will be a middle school clinic by appointment only on Thursday, August 19 from 4-7 p.m. at Discovery Middle School. Please call Kari at 241-1508 to make an appointment.
Immunizations: Childhood 
The use of childhood immunizations is considered to be one of public health’s greatest achievements, greatly reducing the number of severe childhood illnesses. It is important that your child receive the proper immunizations at the right time as he or she is growing. Immunizations, also called vaccinations, protect your infant and child against many serious diseases.
North Dakota law states that a child may not be admitted to any public or private school, day care, Headstart program, or preschool unless the child’s parent or guardian shows proof that the child has received the required immunizations.
Fargo Cass Public Health utilizes state-supplied vaccine and offers the following immunizations to all North Dakota children: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, Prevnar 13 (PCV13), and Hib.
Two additional vaccines, one for meningitis and the other for HPV (human papillommavirus), are available to children who qualify for the “Vaccine for Children” (VFC) program. Those children who qualify for VFC must be Native American or:
- be 18 years of age or younger.
- have Medicaid coverage or no health insurance.
Call Anne at 241-1378 for more information about VFC eligibility.
How do I access this service?
To schedule an appointment for your child to receive immunizations and for information on pricing, call 241-1383. To find out more about childhood immunizations, call Anne at 241-1378.
Immunizations: Adult
Children are not the only ones who need immunizations. Adults also need to be properly immunized against vaccine preventable diseases. Adults receiving immunizations will be asked to pay for their immunizations at the time of service.
To find out more about adult immunizations, call Anne at 241-1378. To find out about pricing and to schedule an appointment for immunizations, call 241-1383.
North Dakota Department of Health Providing Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccine for All North Dakota Adults and Adolescents for a Limited Time
7/8/2010--The North Dakota Department of Health has begun supplying tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccines to health-care providers at no cost for any adolescent or adult in need of vaccination, according to Molly Sander, Immunization Program manager for the Department of Health.
The vaccines will be provided free for a limited time to local public health units and private health-care providers enrolled in the department’s Immunization Program. Health-care providers may charge a small fee to administer the vaccine to their patients.
Everyone is recommended to receive a booster dose of tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine at least every 10 years. For people younger than 65, one of the booster doses should be Tdap, which also protects against pertussis (whooping cough), to help ensure they don’t pass whooping cough to infants or get the disease themselves. In addition, a dose of Tdap is recommended for adolescents at ages 11 or 12 and is required for all North Dakota adolescents attending middle school.
Adults and Adolescents pass pertussis on to infants, which is why it is so important for older individuals to be vaccinated. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection that causes serious disease in infants. Infants and children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they're forced to inhale with a loud "whooping" sound.
Currently, many states are experiencing outbreaks of pertussis; in fact, five infants have died from pertussis in California this year. North Dakota experienced an outbreak in 2004, when 757 cases occurred. So far in 2010, 19 cases of pertussis have been reported in North Dakota.
“Unfortunately, most adolescents and adults in North Dakota are not protected against pertussis,” Sander said. “In fact, only 47.8 percent of adolescents in North Dakota have received a dose of Tdap, and even fewer adults are adequately vaccinated with Tdap. In the United States in 2008, only 5.9 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 had received the vaccine.”
People interested in being vaccinated or wondering if they are up-to-date on their Td or Tdap vaccinations should contact Fargo Cass Public Health at 241-1383, or your health-care provider.