Warm Springs Community Health and KWSO 91.9 FM are teaming up to share important health updates on the What the Health podcast, broadcast on KWSO news, and printed here in Spilyay Tymoo. Recently, host Sue Matters spoke with Dr. Michaela Frey and Immunization Coordinator Marc Mason, RN, about school shot requirements and staying healthy this fall and winter.
School Shots and Important Deadlines All local schools and daycares—including ECE, Warm Springs K–8, and 509J—follow standard national vaccine guidelines. Children need shots protecting against chickenpox, measles, polio, and other common illnesses to attend class.
To avoid getting a school exclusion letter, children must have their shot records updated by Jan. 13. If you receive a letter, you have until Feb. 24 to get your child updated before they are turned away from school or daycare.
Checking Records and Out-of-State Transfers If you get a notice saying your child is missing a vaccine, contact the clinic before getting extra shots. Oregon uses an electronic tracking system called ALERT. However, records from other states (or facilities like Yakima IHS) do not transfer automatically. Bring a paper copy of your child’s past records to the clinic, or ask the records department to request them so your child does not repeat shots needlessly.
If you are requesting a non-medical exemption for school vaccines, Oregon requires parents to complete a short online Oregon Health Authority education module (15–60 minutes) and submit the completion certificate to the school.
Travel Safety and Measles With measles cases rising nationally, health officials remind families that standard MMR (measles) shots start at 12 months. However, babies as young as 6 months can get an early dose if traveling to areas with outbreaks. Infants who get an early shot will still need their standard doses at age 1 and age 4. Try to get any travel shots at least two weeks before leaving.
Fall and Winter Illness Protection Protections for flu, COVID-19, and RSV are available now:
- Flu: High-dose flu shots are available for elders aged 65 and older.
- RSV: A single RSV shot is available for high-risk adults aged 50 and older. Native American community members in this age group qualify as high-risk.
Vaccines are available through Warm Springs Community Health, the IHS primary clinic, the IHS pharmacy, and Jefferson County Public Health. For questions or record checks, call Warm Springs Community Health at the Health and Wellness Center.
