Fresno Unified hosting free immunization clinics ahead of school year

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For many kids, the school year will start back up in the next couple of weeks.

Fresno Unified School District is hosting free immunization clinics to ensure all their students are ready and healthy to head back to school.

"I think it's great that they have this free clinic here for students that need the shots," said Daniel Doering. "It's more convenient. It's much easier to do than to have to make appointments."

Doering came here to Tioga Middle School so he can get up to date on his vaccinations.

Within a few minutes, he was in and out. Doering said he liked that this clinic was an option.

"He (Doering's son) doesn't have a primary doctor, and it would have taken a lot more time," he said.

It is open to all FUSD students who are on Medi-Cal or uninsured.

"One of our biggest goals is making sure our students have access to receiving healthcare and so what we do is open these clinics for our Fresno Unified Students, especially our students who have Medi-Cal or who are uninsured," said district health services director Jane Banks. "We bring that, those opportunities to them and just to make it easier so that they can get the vaccines also."

This year parents need to know there is a new requirement.

"They added on two varicellas, so that's two chickenpox vaccine requirements, that's for new t-k and k, any new kids transferring into the district as well as students who are coming into their 7th grade," Banks said.

Banks says last year 99.8 percent of their students were vaccinated. She says the other two percent does not necessarily mean the students are not compliant. In many cases, the students are medically excluded.

"Our team is really good. We have school nurses who stay on top of vaccinations," she said. "So our health team is dedicated, making sure our kids are in school, and they are healthy."

The clinics are being held this week and next week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tioga Middle School.