Childhood Immunization

We understand that parents want the very best for their children, and when it comes to vaccines, safety is our highest priority. Childhood vaccines are thoroughly tested, monitored, and backed by decades of scientific research. They are safe, effective, and essential in protecting your child from serious illnesses. Choosing to vaccinate is one of the most important steps you can take to keep your child healthy and our community strong.

For more information on vaccine safety and benefits, please visit the following recommended resources:

• HealthyChildren.org: Vaccine Safety: features information for parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Vaccine Education Center: an educational resource on vaccines from a national leader in children’s health
• KidsHealth: Immunizations: features physician-reviewed educational resources for parents
• VaccineInformation.org: a website for the general public curated by experts at Immunize.org, featuring testimonies, videos, and educational resources about vaccines and the diseases they prevent
• Voices for Vaccines: a parent-lead organization that provides fact-based content to help families make informed decisions about immunizations

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program is a Federal program that provides vaccines to kids who might not have other access due to cost. Since 1994, when the program was established following a measles outbreak, the CDC credits the VFC program with the following successes:

• 508 million cases of illness prevented
• 32 million hospitalizations avoided
• 1,129,000 deaths averted
• direct savings of $540 billion and societal savings of $2.7 trillion

Howard County Health Department offers immunizations through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program to eligible children through 18 years of age who meet the following criteria: 

• No Health Insurance 
• Medical Assistance
• Health Insurance that doesn’t cover vaccines 

Private health insurance is not accepted at this time. Children with private health insurance should schedule immunization appointments with their primary care provider. 

Call 410-313-7500 for more information and to make an appointment.

You MUST bring the child's immunization record. A parent or guardian must accompany the children to the clinic appointment. 

The number of vaccines children receive can feel overwhelming, but each one plays a vital role in protecting your child from serious diseases. In fact, even though we vaccinate children against more childhood diseases than ever before, vaccine science has improved so much that the total amount of antigen (a substance that triggers an immune response) in the entire vaccine schedule has decreased: Why delayed vaccination schedules can be harmful to children | UNICEF

The vaccine schedule is carefully designed by medical experts to provide protection at the right time, and children's immune systems are more than capable of handling multiple vaccines safely. Every dose is an important step toward keeping your child healthy and protected.

• DTaP/Tdap protects against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus (lockjaw).
• IPV protects against polio (can cause paralysis of the arms and legs).
• MMR protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
• HEPATITIS B and HEPATITIS A protects against Hepatitis B or Hepatitis A which can cause liver damage.
• VARIVAX protects against chickenpox.
• HIB protects against Haemphilus Influenza B which causes brain infections and brain damage.
• PREVNAR(PCV13) protects against respiratory and ear infections, as well as pneumonia.
• ROTAVIRUS protects your baby from severe diarrhea.
• MCV4/MenACWY and MenB protect against meningitis (infection of the central nervous system).
• RSV protects against respiratory syncytial virus, which is a respiratory virus that can cause severe illness in infants. 

CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that pre-teens get several vaccines at their 11 or 12 year old check-up.

• Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap)
• Meningococcal (meningitis) conjugate vaccine (MCV4)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardisil 9  (Available to boys and girls)
• Menigococcal B

These vaccines prevent serious, sometimes life-threatening diseases. Immunity from some childhood vaccines can decrease over time, so people need to get another dose of the vaccine during their pre-teen years. Also, as children move into adolescence, they are at greater risk of catching certain diseases, like meningitis and HPV. If your child did not get these vaccines at age 11 or 12, schedule an appointment to get them now.

• CDC Adult Immunization schedule (includes information on recommended vaccinations for college-bound adults and recommended adult boosters.
• CDC “Making the Vaccine Decision: Addressing Common Concerns”
• CDC Vaccines for Your Children