IMMUNIZATION AND VACCINATION

Be Wise - Immunize!

It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it after it occurs.

Diseases that used to be common in this country and around the world, including polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus, rotavirus and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) can now be prevented by vaccination. Over the years, vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives.

Vaccine List

Immunity Protects us From Disease

Immunity is the body’s way of preventing disease. The immune system recognizes germs that enter the body as “foreign invaders” (called antigens) and produces proteins called antibodies to fight them.

The first time a child is infected with a specific antigen (measles virus, i.e.), the immune system produces antibodies designed to fight it. This takes time . . . usually the immune system can’t work fast enough to prevent the antigen from causing disease, so the child still gets sick. However, the immune system “remembers” that antigen. If it ever enters the body again, even after many years, the immune system can produce antibodies fast enough to keep it from causing disease a second time. This protection is called immunity.

Vaccination provides Immunity

Vaccines contain the same antigens (or parts of antigens) that cause diseases. But the antigens in vaccines are either killed, or weakened to the point that they don’t cause disease. However, they are strong enough to make the immune system produce antibodies that lead to immunity. In other words, a vaccine is a safer substitute for a child’s first exposure to a disease. The child gets protection without having to get sick. Through vaccination, children can develop immunity without suffering from the actual diseases that vaccines prevent.

Child Health Conference

NWBRHC hosts two monthly Child Health Conference Clinics for those children who are uninsured or have Medicare Part A.

Services include:

A physical exam by the doctor or nurse practitioner
Immunizations to protect your child against a variety of serious illnesses such as polio and measles
Blood tests to check for anemia and lead poisoning
Screening tests to check for speech, hearing and/or vision problems

Waldwick Child Health Conference Clinic (Kirsteen Pinto, BSN, RN-BC):

3rd Wednesday of the month, Waldwick Health Center, 22 White’s Lane (behind Ambulance Corps), 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Serves the communities of Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho Kus, Mahwah, Midland Park, Oakland, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wyckoff.
By appointment only. Call Corinne at 201-445-7217 to schedule or email: info@nwbrhc.net

Hillsdale Child Health Conference Clinic (Marguerite Deppert, RN):

4th Wednesday of the month, Borough Hall, 38 Hillsdale Avenue, Hillsdale, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
Serves the communities of Alpine, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Emerson, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, Montvale, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Oradell, Park Ridge, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood and Woodcliff Lake.
By appointment only. Call Marguerite at 201-666-4800, x1528 to schedule.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

New Jersey’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) deliver high-quality health care to all people regardless of their ability to pay.

You don’t need health insurance to receive care at a health center. They serve the uninsured as well as patients with Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare, Medicare and private insurance. If you are uninsured, fees are charged based on your income level using a sliding fee scale. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.

Health centers provide a wide range of services which include:

Comprehensive Primary and Preventive Health Care

Pediatric Services

Dental Care

Women’s Health

Behavioral/Mental Health

Lab Services

HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing

And much more

Health Centers are conveniently located statewide. To locate the health center nearest you, please visit our FQHC search page.

Source: https://nj.gov/health/fhs/primarycare/fqhc/

Local Federally Qualified Health Centers:

North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center

197 South Van Brunt Street Englewood, NJ 07631 (Bergen County)
Tel: (201) 537-4442 

Website

North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center - Garfield

535 Midland Avenue Garfield, NJ 07026 (Bergen County)
Tel: (973) 340-1182

Website

North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center - Hackensack

25 E. Salem St Hackensack, NJ 07601 (Bergen County)
Tel: (201) 996 - 2121 

Website

For all three centers, patients should call 201-210-0200 to schedule an appointment. Individual site telephone numbers are listed for convenience only.

Administrative Contact for North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Centers: Joan Quigley, (201) 210-0100.

Valley Hospital Community Care

1114 Goffle Road, Hawthorne, NJ,

Contact Betty at (973) 427-7676, x204

This is an application-based program based on financial need. It is not a walk-in clinic.