ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Vaccinations are an important part of back-to-school success and overall health and well-being, state officials said. As children head back to school, it’s a great time to make sure they’re up to date on vaccines.

“Ensuring children are current on their childhood vaccines is essential for both child and family health and well-being,” State Health Director and NCDHH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson said in a news release. “We encourage parents to work with their children’s health care provider or local health department to make sure they’re up to date to protect them from serious disease and help prevent the spread of disease in the classroom and at home.”

The Buncombe County Immunizations Clinic at 40 Coxe Ave. in downtown Asheville has two options for getting immunizations at that facility. First, people may call 828-250-5096 and make an appointment that fits their schedule. For those who would rather walk in, those hours are 8-11:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 1-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

According to the Buncombe County Department of Public Health website, the county has a high rate of children who are not fully immunized. Communities with high rates of people not fully immunized are at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as meningitis, measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and others, are still seen across North Carolina. Keeping children up to date on vaccinations is the best way to keep them healthy and reduce severe illness and unnecessary absences from school.

Children who are uninsured can be vaccinated at low or no cost through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers free vaccines to eligible children through 18 years of age.

“Vaccines remain one of the most effective means available to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death,” Dr. Kelly Kimple, acting director of the NCDHHS Division of Public Health, said in the news release. “They help to protect the health of children, their families and the entire community from the spread of these infectious diseases.”

Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed August as Immunization Awareness Month in North Carolina. Alongside the proclamation, NCDHHS is partnering with health care providers and stakeholders in a statewide awareness campaign to help ensure school-age children and teens are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

“As children, adolescents and young adults are returning to schools and universities, we must remember the critical role of vaccines in preventing illness,” Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD FAAP, president of the North Carolina Pediatric Society, said in the release. “Well visits, sports physicals, school health assessments and any other health care visit can be used as an opportunity to receive or become up to date on immunizations.”

NCDHHS encourages all parents to talk with their child’s health care provider about recommended vaccinations. During that same visit, parents can talk with their physicians about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine for their children ages six months and older.

Visit this CDC portal for more information about COVID-19 vaccines.

“As children move into their preteen and teen years, they become more susceptible to certain diseases, making it especially important to stay current with immunizations. At the same time, preteens and teens tend to have fewer visits to their doctor’s office, increasing the chance that they are not up to date,” said Dr. Garett Franklin President of the NC Academy of Family Physicians. “Make sure our adolescents stay up to date by asking their physician about needed and recommended immunizations.”

More information and resources are available for parents and guardians:

Additional information on vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations for North Carolina families is available here.