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The Texas Department of State Health Services will begin a new monthly immunization program in Johnson City next week, with a mini-clinic at the First United Methodist Church.

It is a part of the national Vaccines for Children program, which makes it easier for kids to get the shots they need to prevent diseases such as measles and whooping cough. The program officially covers children enrolled in Medicaid or who don’t have insurance that covers vaccines.

“But we’ll be doing more than that,” said Dorothy Dawson, the DSHS Public Health Nurse for Blanco County. “We don’t turn anyone away, although we may ask a minimal fee from those who can afford it.

A century ago, the so-called childhood diseases killed many of our youngsters, Dawson said. Today, you hardly ever hear of a diphtheria death. The reason is we vaccinate our kids against those diseases. If we don’t, the diseases come back, and many of them can kill. The solution: get the shots.

“But these clinics aren’t just for children. We also have some vaccines adults need, like tetanus and pneumonia.”

For all the publicity about swine flu, though, Dawson’s black bag will not include flu vaccines, either seasonal flu or the new H1N1.

“Those vaccines haven’t come in yet,” she explained, “so we’ll do bigger shot clinics for them later in the season, and we’ll give plenty of notice when they’re scheduled.”

Right now, DSHS is launching this routine shot clinic on the third Wednesday of each month, beginning September 16th, from 9 am to noon and 1 pm to 3 in the church Activity Building.

“As long as there’s been a Church, we’ve been taking care of the sick,” said Pastor Sid Spiller of the First UMC. “Hosting these clinics is just another part of the assignment Christ left to us.”

For more information about the monthly shot clinics, call the DSHS office in Marble Falls at 830-693-8424.