Barnstable County Offers Immunization Program
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states vaccines are one of the greatest public health interventions of the 20th century, second only to clean water. That’s why Barnstable County Public Health Nurse Deirdre Arvidson, BSN is a strong proponent of immunization. She directs the Public Immunization Program delivered by the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment Public Health Nursing Division.
“Vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect your health,” she says. “They lower your chance of acquiring and spreading certain diseases. And it’s not all about you. People need to remember that infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.”
The Public Immunization Program offers the following adult and adolescent immunizations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, HPV, Influenza (Flu), Meningococcal, MMR, Pneumonia, Rabies (pre-exposure), Tdap, Tetanus, Varicella, Zoster (Shingles).
The program also offers the following travel vaccines: Japanese encephalitis, Typhoid, Yellow Fever.
Most insurance providers including MassHealth and Medicare cover immunizations. State-supplied vaccines are available at no cost to uninsured adults. The Federal Vaccine for Children (VFC) Program provides immunizations at no cost to children 18 and under with no insurance, MassHealth, or Medicaid coverage.
The Public Immunization Program is available by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Call 508-375-6617 to set up an appointment.
The Nursing Division is located at the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment in the Old Jail building in the Barnstable County Complex on Route 6A in Barnstable Village.
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