Keeping students healthy is a mission for Nancy Ramirez, a nurse at Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy. As students and teachers get acclimated to the new school year, school nurses have the arduous task of making sure students have their immunization records up to date, a job Ramirez is committed to daily.
Like nurses throughout the district, Ramirez is staying busy with outreach to parents. “I do my best to be proactive, and it’s an ongoing process as we also receive students who transfer from out of state and out of the country, and do our best to connect them to resources.”
One of the most important resources is the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, which offers low-cost immunizations for students 18 and under. For $10 a visit and $5 each subsequent visit, students can get their shots at the DCHHS main clinic, located on the first floor of 2777 N Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. There are seven clinic locations throughout Dallas County, all of which take walk-in appointments. For more information, call 214-819-2000 or visit DCHHS | Immunization Hours (dallascounty.org) for additional information.
Also valuable as a resource to parents are the district’s Youth and Family Centers. The clinics offer low-cost immunizations for as little as $5. To make an appointment, families can call 214-266-1257, or contact the individual clinics listed below along with additional resources.
According to Jennifer Finley, executive director of Health Services for Dallas ISD, routine school-age vaccination was among the many challenges that came with the pandemic. “Immunizations are critical to preventing disease outbreaks and ensuring the health of students,” Finley said. “Campus nurses review immunization status for students every 30 days to promote a healthy learning environment.”
If you are unsure if your child’s immunization records are updated, Ramirez suggests contacting your school nurse. “Sometimes, it’s a matter of just sending the updated record. Parents will email me pictures or screenshots of their child’s immunizations. I want to meet them where they are and make this as efficient as possible.”
Youth and Family Centers that offer low-cost immunizations:
Youth and Family appointment line: (214)266-1257
Adamson YFC at Adamson High School: 201 E. Ninth Street, Dallas, TX 75203; (214)266-0955
Fair Oaks YFC at Emmett Conrad High School: 7502 Fair Oaks Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231; (214)266-0200
Vivian Field YFC at Vivian Field Middle School: 13551 Dennis Lane, Farmers Branch, TX 75234; (214)266-2305
Balch Springs YFC at Balch Springs Middle School: 710 Cheyenne Road, Dallas, TX 75217; (214)266-0258
Seagoville YFC at Seagoville Middle School: 15800 Seagoville Road Seagoville, TX 75253; (214)266-3150
Additional Vaccine Resources:
https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/immunization-hours.php
https://thedoctorspot.org/services.html
