henry-county-health-fair

With a new school year just around the corner, one local organization wants to make sure your kids have everything they need for a healthy start. Henry County Public Health is hosting their second annual Back to School Health Fair Tuesday, in Manning Hall at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 607 S. Jackson Street in Mount Pleasant. They will offer immunizations, lead testing, dental screenings, vision screenings and for a $25 fee, those in seventh through 12th grade can get their sports physicals. There will also be community resource tables, kids activities and giveaways. This week, Kelly Carr, Community Outreach Coordinator for Henry County Public Health spoke with KCII News about the origins of the event, requirements for students ahead of the school year and how the Health Fair can help.

Carr says, “We started this last year because we have been noticing more and more kids coming in at the very last minute or even after school has already started to get their required shots. We’re going to have a bunch of community organizations with information tables, activities for kids while parents fill out paperwork, and giveaways for parents and kids. Our staff will be providing the immunizations kids need. There are immunizations required for kids going into Kindergarten, seventh and 12th grades. We will also have staff from Washington County Public Health doing lead testing. All kids entering Kindergarten are required to have a lead test. We will have hygienists from the I-SMILE program doing dental screenings. A dental screening is required for kids going to Kindergarten and ninth grade. American Eye Care staff will be there doing the vision screenings. That is required for kids going into Kindergarten and third grade. We will have two providers there doing sports physicals for kids in grades seven to 12. Those are $25 cash only.”

The event will be held from 4-7p.m. Tuesday. For more information visit Facebook.com/HealthyHenryCounty.