Immunizations

Flu Clinics | Immunizations | Smallpox | Travel Vaccines | Immunizations and Autism | Related Links

Pictures of Vaccine Preventable Diseases

At times we wonder why we must continue to vaccinate against vaccine preventable diseases which are so rare in our communities. These pictures provide a vivid reminder of why we must continue to keep our immunization rates high.

The Ottawa County Health Department offers vaccines that protect against the following diseases (click disease to see pictures of the disease):

Immunization Schedules

Immunizations protect your health. Children who are not immunized are at risk for diseased which can sometimes be fatal. Children should receive most of their vaccinations by the time they are 15 months old. Additional vaccines are required before going to kindergarten and at 11-12 years of age. Children should be vaccinated within the time frame that the immunizations are recommended . Children need to have a complete series of immunizations in order to be fully protected from diseases the vaccines prevent. If your child is behind, it is never too late to catch up. Call your health care provider today to get the needed vaccines.

While most people think that immunizations are for children, there are vaccines that are important for people of all ages. Adults should receive a booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (also known as “Tdap”) vaccine every 10 years and a yearly flu shot. A pneumonia shot is recommended for everyone 65 years and older.

You can click on the following links to download more information and vaccine schedules:

Clinic Hours, Locations and Phone Numbers

Ottawa County is served by four health department locations. Please call the location nearest you to schedule an appointment for immunizations.

Holland Branch
12251 James Street
Holland, MI 49423
(616) 396-5266
Open Monday through Friday 		   Hudsonville Branch
3100 Port Sheldon Rd.
Hudsonville, MI 49426
(616) 669-0040
Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday
   
Grand Haven Branch
16920 Ferris Street
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 846-8360
Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 		Coopersville Branch
785 West Randall Road
Coopersville, MI 49404
(616) 837-8171
Open Thursday

Fees

Receiving routine immunizations does not have to be expensive. The Ottawa County Health Department participates with the Vaccines for Children program and the Michigan Vaccine Replacement Program. Individuals who qualify are eligible to receive the vaccine free of charge. An administration fee, based on a sliding scale, is charged with each vaccine given. Many health insurance plans also cover routine immunizations. Please check with your insurer.

Vaccine Information Sheets

The Centers for Disease Control produces a vaccine information sheet (VIS) for each vaccine currently licensed in the United States. VIS’s explain both the benefits and risks of a vaccine. The VIS’s are available in many different languages. Federal law requires that a VIS be handed out whenever certain vaccines are given. The State of Michigan requires providers give patients a VIS form which includes information about the Michigan Childhood Immunization Registry (MCIR) every time a vaccine is given. Therefore, VIS’s should be downloaded from the MDCH website as these VIS’s have the required MCIR information.

Foreign Language Vaccine Information Sheets

Foreign language versions of Vaccine Information Statements are available in 33 languages. All the foreign language VIS’s obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health include information about MCIR. To receive a foreign language VIS, please call the Division of Immunization at (517) 335-8159, or contact the Ottawa County Health Department and we will obtain them for you. The VIS’s are available in these languages:

Albanian Haitian Creole   Punjabi
Arabic Hindi Romanian
Armenian Hmong Russian
Bosnian Ilokano Samoan
Burmese Italian Serbo-Croatian
Cambodian Japanese Somali
Chinese Korean Spanish
Croatian (Serbian)   Laotian Tagalog
Farsi Marshallese Thai
French Polish Turkish
German Portuguese Vietnamese

Travel Immunizations

Ottawa County Health Department provides vaccines for foreign travel. Travelers may be exposed to diseases not routinely found here in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends immunizations for travel to areas where certain diseases occur. Individuals are encouraged to call their nearest health department location at least 2 months prior to traveling abroad (or as soon as they know they will be traveling outside the U.S.).

In order to provide the most accurate information, the nurse scheduling your appointment will need to know the following:

  • The country and specific cities/areas you will be visiting
  • The purpose of your trip (i.e. mission project, business, vacation, etc)
  • Your living arrangements (hotel, mission housing, tent, etc)
  • The length of your trip

When you call, the telephone clerk at the Health Department will ask you for this information about your trip to give to the travel nurse. The travel nurse will return your call, usually within 2 business days. Before the nurse calls you back, please obtain the following information:

  • Dates of any past immunizations such as Td (tetanus/diphtheria), MMR (measles/mumps/ rubella), Hepatitis B, etc.
  • Check with your insurance company to determine if they cover routine immunizations (such as Td, MMR and Hepatitis B). Insurance companies do not cover travel immunizations.
  • The approximate date that the individual traveling had chickenpox (if the individual has had the disease).

Based on this information, the nurse will be able to determine which vaccines would be recommended for you. There is a fee for all travel services, and all services are provided by appointment.

Immunizations and Autism

Vaccines are the single most powerful, cost-effective public health intervention ever developed. They have reduced, and in some cases, eliminated debilitating and life threatening diseases. Despite the removal of the agent suspected to be linked to autism, thermisol, from vaccines in 2002, statistics show that autism rates continue to rise. The following websites provide resources on Vaccines and Autism:

Article on Vaccines and Autism – "Vaccine Safety: Vaccines are one of Public Health's Great Accomplishments"

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

National Network for Immunization Information

Chromosome Abnormality Strongly Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (PDF)

Thimerosal Disappears but Autism Remains (PDF)

The Anti-Vaccination Movement (PDF)

Vaccines and Autism: Evidence Does Not Support a Causal Association (PDF)

Additional Sources of Immunization Information