Parents of rising seventh-graders and twelfth-graders in Guilford County will have multiple chances in September to get the state-required immunizations at walk-in clinics hosted at high schools in Greensboro and High Point.

North Carolina requires students entering seventh grade to have a Tdap shot (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Students entering twelfth grade must have a booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine before the start of the senior year.

State law also sets a compliance timeline: Families have 30 calendar days from a student’s first day of attendance to provide proof of required immunizations or an approved exemption.

After that period, schools must exclude students from attendance until they meet the requirements.

Federal public-health guidance aligns with those rules. The CDC recommends a single Tdap dose at age 11–12 for adolescents, and it recommends a MenACWY dose at age 11–12 with a booster at 16 since protection wanes over time.

The county’s Division of Public Health will operate the following school-site, walk-in clinics  – and there’s no appointment needed:

  • Wednesday, Sept. 3 – Southwest Guilford High School (9 a.m. to noon); High Point Central High School (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Monday, Sept. 8 – Dudley High School (9 a.m. to noon); Page High School (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Wednesday, Sept. 10 – Eastern Guilford High School (9 a.m. to noon); Southeast Guilford High School (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Friday, Sept. 12 – Northwest Guilford High School (9 a.m. to noon); Western Guilford High School (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.)

Parents and guardians are being asked to complete the county’s immunization permission form in advance. If the form isn’t submitted beforehand, a parent or guardian must accompany the student. Families should have an insurance or Medicaid card and the student’s immunization records available at the clinic.

The county lists Medicaid, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield as in-network insurers; fees may be collected for services billed to out-of-network plans.

Students who can’t attend a school-site clinic can get the required shots by appointment at the county public-health clinics in Greensboro at 1100 East Wendover Ave. and in High Point at 501 East Green Dr. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 336-641-3245. Parents may also schedule with their child’s in-network primary-care provider or at participating pharmacy clinics.

Schools have reporting duties tied to these requirements. Each year, all schools report the immunization status of their seventh-grade and twelfth-grade students to the state, which uses the data to track compliance with the law.

County communications indicate that additional opportunities have been offered this season beyond the September school-site dates — including August appointment-based days at county clinics — for families who prefer a traditional clinic setting.

For reference, the CDC notes that MenACWY vaccines help protect against meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, W and Y, and that routine vaccination for preteens and teens is recommended.

More information — including the county’s permission form — is available through the Guilford County Division of Public Health. If you go to a school-site clinic, bring the completed form, your insurance or Medicaid card, and your student’s immunization record.