BREWSTER, NY—Back-to-school time starts soon. So now is a good time to check on your children’s immunizations and talk with your pediatrician about what vaccines can provide them with the best protection. August appointments fill up fast and free time disappears as parents and children prepare for the new school year by shopping for school supplies and new clothes.

“It is more critical than ever for us to maintain high childhood vaccination rates,” said Public Health Director Rian Rodriguez, MPH. “Our recent measles case here in Putnam County serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting oneself with vaccination. With your help, we can enhance our level of protection against all the diseases that were commonplace before the arrival of vaccines.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC, has been updating its measles website weekly on Wednesdays. In early July, they announced that the current outbreak which began in West Texas is now the largest since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. The previous largest outbreak occurred in 2018 to 2019, largely centered in the Hudson Valley’s Rockland County.

“Currently the best sources of information come directly from one’s family doctors and pediatricians. We also offer guidance and any necessary vaccines here at the health department,” said Rian Rodriguez. “No child requiring school-related vaccines should be refused vaccination because of an inability to pay. We are here to assist any families with ensuring their children have access to these vaccines.”

The widely recommended and established vaccine schedule includes the following vaccinations required for day care, pre-K, and school attendance: diphtheria and tetanus; hepatitis B; polio; measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); and varicella or chickenpox. Two additional vaccines are required for day care and pre-K. Flu vaccines also are recommended annually for everyone over six months of age.

With increased availability of both flu and childhood vaccines, through healthcare providers as well as pharmacies, the Putnam County school-based flu clinics will be paused this fall. The health department will be closely watching and assessing flu data and a full evaluation of these programmatic changes has begun. If necessary, adjustments will be made based on future needs and developments. More information on school vaccination requirements are posted here on the New York State Department of Health website (https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/schools/school_vaccines/).

“Our community-based, public flu clinics will continue, both on the east and west sides of the county, and we are confident everyone who wants a flu vaccine—or a vaccine to prevent a childhood illness—can now easily access them through their healthcare provider, a pharmacy or the health department,” said Kathy Percacciolo, supervising public health nurse.

The upcoming fall flu clinic schedule starts on Monday, September 29, with a Drive-Thru clinic at the health department’s main office at 1 Geneva Road in Brewster from 2:30 to 5:30pm. The second clinic is at the Garrison Fire Department from 2:30 to 5:30pm. This clinic is not a drive-thru event—it is held indoors at 1616 Route 9 in Garrison. The third clinic is back at the health department’s main office in Brewster, a Drive-Thru with extended hours from 2:30 to 6pm. More information and consent forms can be found posted on the PCDOH website at putnamcountyny.gov/fluclinic. Appointments and signed consent forms are required, and forms will not be available at the clinics.

Vaccination has been called one of the top ten U.S. public health advances of the last century, along with motor vehicle safety and the recognition of tobacco as a health hazard. Vaccines have made illness and death from early childhood diseases like rubella, diphtheria, and polio a rarity today, unlike the early 1900s, when they widely circulated and resulted in numerous fatalities. Today, in countries around the world with lower vaccination rates, childhood diseases remain a serious health threat. For example, measles still circulates around the world with over 100,000 deaths annually. 

To learn more about vaccines speak with your healthcare provider and visit the health department’s webpage on Immunizations. To learn more about the Vaccines for Children program and eligibility at the health department, call 845-808-1332.

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) through 2029, serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.gov, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.

Resources:

Putnam County Department of Health—Immunizations
https://www.putnamcountyny.gov/health/immunization#schedules

New York State Department of Health—School Vaccination Requirements
https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/schools/school_vaccines/

2025-26 School Year NYS Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance—PDF
https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2370_2026.pdf

CDC—Measles Cases and Outbreaks (English and Spanish)
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/es/data-research/index.html

CDC—¡Su hijo necesita vacunas a medida que crece!
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/child-easyread-es.html

CDC—Your child needs vaccines as they grow!
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/child-easyread.html

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