PrintImmunizations
 Back to Personal Health  | Chances are you've never had diphtheria, and you probably don't know anyone who has. What about measles, mumps or rubella? In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, tens of thousands of people in the United States, mostly children, died from these illnesses. Yet today, they are all but forgetton, largely due to vaccines. Our bodies have a natural ability to learn how to fight off many disease-causing germs. Vaccines take advantage of this ability by injecting our immune systems with harmless versions of these germs in order to jump-start our ability to confront them. In essence, vaccines fool our immune systems into thinking there is a real illness occurring. The germs are quickly cleared away and our bodies automatically remember how to protect themselves from these illnesses that they have already encountered. Remember...shots may hurt a little, but the diseases they prevent can hurt much more. And it's much cheaper to prevent a disease than to treat it. |
| Childhood Immunizations | Teens/College Immunizations | |
| All children need to be immunized in order to prevent disease. Children who get their vaccines on time will be safe from many diseases. Your baby should be immunized at these ages:
*All children 6 months through 18 years should get a flu vaccine every year. The following diseases are preventable with timely vaccinations (click on each for more information):
There are other vaccines that may be suggested for children who have health problems and are traveling outside of the United States. Please contact us for more information. | Children aren't the only people that need to be vaccinated. As they get older, the protection from earlier vaccines can wear off, and they also develop risks for more diseases. The CDC currently recommends these 3 vaccines be given with your child's 11-12 year-old checkup (or as soon as possible, especially if your child is older and has not received the vaccines):
Older children should get the following vaccinations if they did not receive all recommended doses when younger: Some children may need additional vaccines either due to their own specific health conditions or exposure in households to other people with age-related or health-related risks: Take the Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Quiz to find out which vaccines YOU may need (for people age 11 and older). |
| Adult Immunizations | Older Adult Immunizations | |
| Vaccines are just as important for adults as they are for children. Many adults assume that the vaccines they received as children will protect them for the rest of their lives, which is generally true, except that:
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and the CDC recommend the following immunizations for adults:
*Please note that the Shingles, or Zostavax, vaccine is not currently offered at the Grand Traverse County Health Department. | Protect yourself and your loved ones against these illnesses by getting vaccinated. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that older adults get the following vaccines: *Please note that the Shingles, or Zostavax, vaccine is not currently offered at the Grand Traverse County Health Department. |
| Appointments for Immunizations | International Travel Immunizations | |
| Childhood, teen and adult immunizations are provided at the Grand Traverse County Health Department. Please call: 231-922-4831 Hours: Mon-Thu 8:30 to 11:30am and 1:00 to 3:30pm Location: 2325 Garfield Road North Traverse City (Upper Level) Evening appointments are available on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Walk-in clients are accommodated if possible. | Vaccines for international travel are not offered at Grand Traverse County Health Department. Recommendations: www.cdc.gov/travel/ Other Resources: Dr. Martin and Spears Travel Clinic - (231) 935-5090 |
| Other Resources for Immunizations | Additional Resources/Websites | |
| Munson Hospital Walk-In Immunization Clinic Location: 106 S. Madison, Traverse City Phone: 231-935-0547
Private Physicians
| American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/vaccines Immunization Action Coalition: www.immunize.org |
| Vaccines for Children Program | ||
| The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program gives childhood vaccines to eligible children and the government pays for the vaccines. Doctors and clinics give VFC vaccines to children who qualify in order to help kids stay healthy. ELIGIBILITY Children from birth through 18 years of age can get VFC vaccines if they:
If your health insurance does not pay anything for vaccines, your child may be able to get VFC vaccine. Check with your doctor or contact us at the Health Department |  |