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.
Immunity Protects us From Disease
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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.
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Vaccination provides Immunity
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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.
NWBRHC hosts two monthly Child Health Conference Clinics for those children who are uninsured or have Medicare Part A.
Services include:
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A physical exam by the doctor or nurse practitioner
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Immunizations to protect your child against a variety of serious illnesses such as polio and measles
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Blood tests to check for anemia and lead poisoning
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Screening tests to check for speech, hearing and/or vision problems
Child Health Conference Clinics (Kirsteen Pinto, BSN, RN-BC):
Waldwick, 2nd Tuesday 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 Dana at 201-445-7217, x201 to schedule or email: info@nwbrhc.net
Child Health Conference Clinics (Marguerite Deppert, RN):
Hillsdale, 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:
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North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center
197 South Van Brunt Street
Englewood, NJ 07631 (Bergen County)
Tel: (201) 537-4442

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North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center - Garfield
535 Midland Avenue
Garfield, NJ 07026 (Bergen County)
Tel: (973) 340-1182
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North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center - Hackensack
25 E. Salem St
Hackensack, NJ 07601 (Bergen County)
Tel: (201) 996 - 2121

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For all three centers, patients should call 201-210-0200 to schedule an appointment. Individual site telephone numbers are listed for convenience only.
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Administrative Contact for North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Centers: Joan Quigley, (201) 210-0100.
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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.
