OLYMPIA – The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department will be partnering with three local groups to provide a public Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Immunization Clinic on Thursday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Olympia Union Gospel Mission Medical Clinic. The Union Gospel Mission is located at 413 Franklin St. N.E. in downtown Olympia.
The clinic is for adults and children ages 11 and up. It is specifically targeted at those who have no health insurance, whose insurance does not cover the vaccine, or who cannot afford to be immunized. Immunizations are available at no cost on a first-come-first-served basis until supplies run out. The Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps, The Olympia Free Clinic, and Olympia Union Gospel Mission are clinic co-sponsors.
“For some people the cost would be a financial hardship, so we see this as an extension of our mission in the community to provide the vaccine free of charge,” said Loren “Skip” Steffen, Executive Director of the Olympia Union Gospel Mission.
For more information about the July 19 immunization clinic, call the Health Department’s Public Information Line at (360) 709-3080 or visit www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/pertussis.
WHAT: No-cost Whooping Cough Immunization Clinic
(Adults and children 11 and older who have no health insurance, whose insurance does not cover the vaccine, or those who cannot afford to be immunized)
WHEN: Thursday, July 19, 2012
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or until vaccine supply runs out)
WHERE: Olympia Union Gospel Mission Medical Clinic
413 Franklin St. N.E. in downtown Olympia
(Intersection of A Street Northeast and Franklin Street Northeast)
There have been 35 confirmed cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in the county since the start of 2012, more than double the number of cases (10) in 2011. The Thurston County Health Department and co-sponsors seek to protect Thurston County residents, particularly young children who are most vulnerable to the disease, by increasing the number of people with access to vaccine.
The Olympia area has additional options for adults who have no health insurance or whose insurance does not cover the vaccine to get a whooping cough shot. The Olympia Free Clinic provides immunizations on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Olympia Free Clinic is located at 108 State Ave. N.W. in downtown Olympia. Call (360) 529-1937 for more information.
Rite Aid Pharmacy at Cooper Point in west Olympia provides immunizations Mon through Fri 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Cooper Point Olympia Rite Aid is located at 305 Cooper Point Rd. N.W., Suite 103 in west Olympia. Call (360) 754-8014 for more information.
The Olympia Union Gospel Mission Medical Clinic continues to provide adult whooping cough vaccine by appointment. The Olympia Union Gospel Mission Medical Clinic is located at 413 Franklin St. N.E. in downtown Olympia. Call (360) 357-6505 to make an appointment.
While there is no shortage of whooping cough vaccine in Thurston County, there is a limited supply of the no-cost adult whooping cough vaccine supplied by the state. Those who can be immunized by their health care provider or who can afford to get immunized at their local pharmacies are strongly encouraged to use those resources.
Whooping cough vaccine prevents the illness. The vaccine will not give you whooping cough. Having had whooping cough in the past does not protect you from getting the disease again. Immunity becomes less over time, so children and adults who were immunized for whooping cough in the past may become ill with the disease. Please check with your health care provider to see if your whooping cough vaccination is current.
For more details about where to get whooping cough vaccine in Thurston County or to learn more about the disease itself, visit www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/pertussis or call the Health Department’s Public Information Line at (360) 709-3080.
