Chatham Co. Health Dept. holds free healthcare screenings for students

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - As families prepare supplies and uniforms for the start of school next week they also are getting their health screenings.

Hundreds of families showed up to the Chatham County Health Department for their back to school clinic as they prepare to send their students back to the classroom.

“It really gives us an opportunity to see if there is any deficiencies in any of those areas so that we can make referrals,” said Tammi Brown, Chatham County Nurse Manager.

Families lined up all day to get free vision, hearing, dental and nutrition screenings before heading back to school in less than a week. While the $29 service is offered all year long, families were eager to get it for free as it’s required for all students entering a Georgia school for the first time. In addition to the free screening families could also get caught up on vaccinations, including their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

County health leaders say they saw 180 kids at their last clinic and were on pace to see that many or more on Thursday.

“We were not expecting the crowd that we got today, but we figured a lot of children have gotten behind on their immunizations because of the pandemic. Kids who stayed home last year a lot of parents made the assumption that they didn’t need to stay up to date on their vaccines so we have a lot of children that are behind so we’re trying to get them caught up as well.”

If you missed the clinic you can still pay for a screening ahead of the school year.

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