The school year is almost upon us. Parents, you have an overwhelming number of tasks to complete to ready your children for it, from replacing clothes they’ve outgrown, to ensuring they get all the health check-ups and vaccines they need. If you’re feeling exhausted just thinking about it, you’re not alone.
Luckily, the summer is full of opportunities for busy parents. Mark your calendars with some great July and August events, many of which include free entertainment as well as wellness offerings.
Vaccinations. If you’ve had trouble scheduling your kids’ shots with their primary care provider on time, be aware that you have other options:
• School clinics. If your kids are in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), you can still catch one of the last vaccination clinics on July 19 or July 25, both of which take walk-ins: myips.org/central-services/unified-student-supports/health-services.
• Pharmacy vaccinations. If you can’t fit in a primary care visit for your kids’ shots before school starts, you can always go to a pharmacy for vaccinations without an appointment if your child is old enough. For Eskenazi Health pharmacies, kids receiving shots need to be 3 years old or older (find locations and shots available at eskenazihealth.edu/health-services/pharmacy; 317-880-0000). Do keep in mind that if your child has qualified for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, those free shots must be given at their primary care provider’s office (cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children).
Resource Fairs and Other Events. The community is eager to help you get ready for the upcoming academic year, providing both free supplies and wellness offerings:
• Back to School Community Resource Day is July 12, when the Marion County Public Health Department offers attendees school supplies, health screenings and entertainment options along with a fire safety festival (hhcorp.org/covering-kids-and-families).
• Other organizations, such as City League and the Urban League, have hosted back-to-school events in previous years, so keep an eye on the calendar to see if they’re hosting events this year as well.
Health Fairs. If you haven’t had time to fit in all of your or your kids’ health visits before school starts, be aware that some wellness offerings are available at local fairs:
• The Indiana Convention Center hosts its annual Indiana Health Fair from July 17 to July 20, featuring numerous community and health organizations, a wealth of resources, free screenings and health professionals available to provide wellness tips and assistance (in.gov/health/indiana-health-fair). Eskenazi Health alone provides numerous offerings to parents as well as kids. Adult resources include blood pressure checks, financial counseling, guidance from imaging services professionals on breast health information, and rehabilitation services tips on avoiding falls.
• Eskenazi Health Center West 38th Street is putting on a health fair on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The health center will be providing their own resources as well as resources from other organizations.
• Eskenazi Health Center Grande is hosting their fair once the school year is well underway: Saturday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This event will include numerous resources from Eskenazi Health as well as from community resources.
Even with the many services and opportunities, of course, the beginning of the school year will be hectic. You will, however, feel better equipped for it if you take advantage of what’s available to you this summer.
Ananda Kannappan, M.D., primary care physician and Lifestyle Medicine practitioner with Eskenazi Health Center Grande