August 22, 2012 - MAYOR BOOKER REMINDS RESIDENTS: CITY OF NEWARK WILL KICK OFF ANNUAL "SCHOOL BUS EXPRESS" IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM ON MONDAY, AUGUST 27

Newark, NJ – August 22, 2012– Mayor Cory A. Booker and Director of Child and Family Well-Being L’Tanya L. Williamson announced today that the City of Newark will kick off its annual “School Bus Express” program on Monday, August 27, 2012, and it will continue through Friday, September 14, 2012, with extended evening clinic hours to ensure Newark children receive their required immunizations before starting or returning to school.

When the program starts, the hours will be as follows: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. There will be extended hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., on the following days: Thursday, August, 30; Thursday, September 6; and Thursday, September 13. Services are being offered at the Department of Child and Family Well-Being, 110 William Street, in Newark’s Central Ward.

Please note that due to the Labor Day Holiday, the clinic will be closed on Monday, September 3.

“To make Newark a stronger, safer, and prouder city we have to promote the well-being of our children and families,” said Mayor Booker. “Don’t let your child be at risk for diseases that can be easily prevented. Register your child now for the ‘School Bus Express’ program so they can receive a free vaccination and have a healthy start to the new school year.”

Immunizations are free for Newark residents. Parents/guardians bringing their children for immunizations for the first time are required to have a copy of the child’s immunization record, parent/guardian identification, and proof of residency such as a current utility, telephone, or cable bill, dated within the last 30 days of visit.

“The School Bus Express program is our annual effort to ensure that Newark’s children start the school year healthy and protected from preventable diseases,” said Director Williamson. “Residents should take advantage of this free program. I commend our entire Child and Family Well-Being team on providing this important program to the community.”

Also, during the three-week program, parents will have an opportunity to enroll their children in the New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS). Immunizations through School Bus Express are available to all children residing in Newark.

School Bus Express is an annual program coordinated by the Immunization Program in the Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being to deliver the required immunizations for school attendance that Newark children may not have obtained prior to schools opening in September.

School Bus Express is only one component of a comprehensive childhood and adolescent immunization program located in the Immunization Program in the Department of Child and Family Well-Being.  Project Vaccinate is another component of the Immunization Program offering immunization case-management and educational services.

Newark is one of a few municipalities nationwide that provides uninsured City residents access to affordable, quality healthcare. Extensive services include, but are not limited to: pediatric care, an adult medical practice, communicable disease control and prevention, a dental clinic, a LEAD prevention program that provides a continuum of care, including inspections, abatements, case management and interim housing, health care for the homeless, and a WIC program. These services are largely supported by local, state and federal funding including philanthropic organizations, such as the world-renowned Kresge Foundation, which has contributed $1.5 million in funding to support the City of Newark’s “Getting the Lead Out” initiative.
 
For more information, please contact Dorothy McCall, Manager Children Health Services, Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being, at (973) 733-7580. 

For information about other City of Newark programs, contact the Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.

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