The DeKalb County Board of Health urges parents not to wait in getting their children vaccinated for the new school year starting August 9.

Georgia law requires children enrolling in day care or school to have required vaccinations. A child entering a day care center or private or public school in DeKalb County, the City of Atlanta, or the City of Decatur for the first time must have two key forms: Georgia immunization form 3231(which must be completed by a health center or doctor) and Georgia form 3300, documenting vision, hearing and dental screenings. Parents should bring along their child's immunization record to the health center or doctor.

Also needed for your child to start school is a certified birth certificate. Birth certificates of children born in DeKalb County are available from the Board of Health's Office of Vital Records, Room 191, 445 Winn Way, Decatur, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A Georgia driver's license or state identification card is required, and certificates may be picked up by either a parent or grandparent.

Vaccinations can be obtained at any of the Board of Health's six center locations throughout DeKalb County. Fees for immunizations and screenings rangefrom $5 to $14, significantly lower than private providers. Payments for health services may be made by cash, a check from a Georgia bank or a major credit card. Payment for birth certificates must be by cash only. Medicaid covers vision and hearing screenings and immunizations with authorization from the patient's primary care provider.

Services for non-English speaking DeKalb residents are available in Room 150, Richardson Health Center, 445 Winn Way, Decatur, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 404.294.3818. Interpreters are available in Arabic, Bosnian, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Yoruba.
For more information on the immunizations your child needs and where to get them, call the DeKalb County Board of Health's Immunization Hotline at (404) 508-7880 or visit http://www.dekalbhealth.net.