July 22, 2003

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will provide vaccinations to children heading off to school at four local shopping malls weekdays in August from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The malls and their addresses are:

• Northwest Mall
  9800 Hempstead Highway
• Sharpstown Center
• 7500 Bellaire Boulevard
• Northline Mall
  4400 North Freeway
• Almeda Mall
  12200 Gulf Freeway

A designated number of appointment tickets will be issued daily at each of the sites. The tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis and based on site capacity. Parents should take to the vaccination site their children’s immunization records and Medicaid card if applicable.

Vaccines most frequently needed by children before going to school are a combined shot for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) and another for measles, mumps and rubella. Children are unable to complete the school registration process until they have met all immunization requirements.

Cost is $3 per child.

The department’s health centers and community immunization sites will not offer vaccinations in August during the vaccination program at the shopping malls.

Recorded information about the immunization sites will be available starting August 2 at 713-247-2411 in English and at 713-247-2412 in Spanish.

For more information, call the city’s information line 311 or the department’s Immunization Bureau at 713-794-9267.