The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently provided a directive to county health departments regarding administration of immunizations. The CDC’s mandate stipulates that effective Oct. 1, health departments can no longer utilize federally-provided vaccines for people who have private health insurance.

Due to these changes, the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division will begin a new screening process on Oct. 1 for individuals seeking immunizations.

“While we don’t see a large number of private pay clients, we know this may be an adjustment for some people, and we want to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Lynnan Svensson, supervising public health nurse, said in a statement.

According to Svensson, the Public Health Division will continue to provide free and low-cost immunizations, including all recommended childhood immunizations and some adult vaccines, to individuals who do not have health insurance and those who are underinsured (such as individuals whose insurance does not pay for immunizations). Public Health will also continue to offer community flu vaccination clinics at low-cost to the general public; the influenza vaccine has been exempted from the new CDC mandate.

For additional information, call (530) 573.3155 in South Lake Tahoe or (530) 621.6100 in the Placerville area.