The Hematite Health Clinic offers immunizations for students and staff throughout the year. The diseases that immunizations prevent can be dangerous, or even deadly. Immunizations reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defenses to help it safely develop immunity to disease.
When germs, such as bacteria or viruses, invade the body, they attack and multiply. This invasion is called an infection, and the infection is what causes illness. The immune system then has to fight the infection. Once it fights off the infection, the body is left with a supply of cells that help recognize and fight that disease in the future.
Immunizations help develop immunity by imitating an infection, but this “imitation” infection does not cause illness. However, it does cause the immune system to develop the same response as it does to a real infection so the body can recognize and fight the immunization-preventable disease in the future. Sometimes, after getting an immunization, the imitation infection can cause minor symptoms, such as fever. Such minor symptoms are normal and should be expected as the body builds immunity.
In order for your child to get an immunization at the HHC please turn in the following:
- A parental consent form for the HHC. Click here for Parental Consent Form. If you have already filled this out, it does not need to be repeated.
- The immunization consent form. Click here for the Immunization Consent Form. Please be sure to sign the bottom and fill out the questionnaire on the back of the form.
Please contact the clinic with any questions and concerns. You can also learn more at www.cdc.gov.