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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 06/29/2017 - The Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) will offer a free shingles and Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) clinic on July 19, 2017, at the Putnam Centennial Center in Cle Elum, Washington. The free clinic will run from 9am to 1pm and no appointment is necessary. These vaccines are free for adults who do not have health insurance, or if the insurance requires a co-pay. There is an administration fee of $23.00, but the fee can be reduced or waived based on your reported income.
Are you 60 years and older? Would you have to pay out of pocket for shingles vaccine? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shingles is a painful rash that develops on one side of the body. It is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. VZV stays in your body after causing chickenpox. If you have had chickenpox in the past, then VZV is inside you. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later and cause shingles. People 60 years and older should get vaccinated against shingles. Even if you have had shingles in the past, it is still advised that you get the shingles vaccine to protect from future occurrences. Only one vaccination is recommended to protect against shingles. If you have questions about whether you should be vaccinated, please contact the Kittitas County Public Health Department. All adults should get a tetanus and diphtheria booster every ten years, and CDC recommends that one of those boosters should include pertussis. Anyone who is going to have contact with a newborn should be vaccinated against pertussis, also known as whooping cough. For adults, pertussis causes a cough that lasts for weeks, but babies usually need to be hospitalized and can die of pertussis. Most adults were vaccinated against pertussis as young children, but immunity wanes over time. Pertussis vaccine is only available in combination with tetanus and diphtheria vaccine. For information about the upcoming clinic, call KCPHD or visit the website at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/health/. If you can’t make it to the Putnam Center on July 19, appointments can be made to receive the free vaccines at the health department. To schedule an appointment, please contact KCPHD at 509-962-7515.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, 509-962-7515