Local families are encouraged to keep their children’s immunization records up to date by visiting the Shots for Tots program at Willis Knighton.
As the Ark-La-Tex prepares to return to school this fall, families can bring their children to a mobile unit at Willis Knighton to receive the vaccinations they need. No appointment is necessary, and there is no charge for the vaccines.
Immunizations are available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in August at Willis Knighton’s four main hospital facilities. Parents should bring their children’s immunization records with them.
Dates and sites include:
- Aug. 3-5 near the Emergency Room at Willis Knighton Pierremont, 8001 Youree Drive in Shreveport
- Aug. 10-12 on top of the hill past the Emergency Room at Willis Knighton North, 2600 Greenwood Road in Shreveport
- Aug. 17-19 in front of Willis Knighton Fitness Center at Willis Knighton South, 2510 W. Bert Kouns Industrial Loop in Shreveport
- Aug. 24-26 under the billboard at Willis Knighton Bossier, 2400 Hospital Drive in Bossier City
Willis Knighton offers Shots for Tots as a service to the community. The vaccines are provided by the federally funded Vaccines for Children program, which includes immunizations recommended by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The routine shots offer protection against more than a dozen infectious diseases, including hepatitis A and B, flu, RSV and human papillomavirus (HPV).
The mobile units have helped boost local immunization rates among students by about 40 percent.
“I always advise parents: Don't wait until the last minute to take care of back-to-school shots!” said Sheldon West, BSN, RN, CLC, who coordinates the Shots for Tots and WIC programs for Willis Knighton Health. “It's already a hectic time. They can avoid additional stress by coming to the mobile van and getting their child's required immunizations early.”
Children up to 18 years of age who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible to receive VFC vaccines:
- Medicaid eligible: A child who is eligible for the Medicaid program. (For the purposes of the VFC program, the terms "Medicaid-eligible" and "Medicaid-enrolled" are equivalent and refer to children who have health insurance covered by a state Medicaid program.)
- American Indian or Alaska Native: As defined by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
- Uninsured: A child who has no health insurance coverage
- Underinsured: Underinsured means the child has health insurance, but it:
- 1. Doesn't cover vaccines, or
- 2. Doesn't cover certain vaccines, or
- 3. Covers vaccines but has a fixed dollar limit or cap for vaccines. Once that fixed dollar amount is reached, a child is then eligible for this program.
Children whose health insurance covers the cost of vaccinations are not eligible for VFC vaccines, even when a claim for the cost of the vaccine and its administration would be denied for payment by the insurance carrier because the plan's deductible had not been met.
For more information about Shots for Tots, call 318-212-2520.
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