As the school year draws closer, parents are scrambling, trying to ensure that their kids have everything they need: brand-new school supplies and immunizations.

While the school year brings new opportunities, challenges and experiences, it also brings diseases, and vaccination is essential to ensuring that all children have a safe school year. Regardless of their importance, vaccinations are not always available to everyone and some people underestimate their value.

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In order to tackle these issues, community vaccination events are being held in various parts of Houston. At the George R. Brown Convention Center, Mayor John Whitmire is hosting the Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair, an initiative to help underprivileged students prepare for the upcoming school year by providing backpacks full of school supplies, on-site health screenings, and free physicals.

In addition to this, the city of Houston will also be hosting four Super Saturday vaccination days in August, in alliance with many independent school districts in the area, where they will be setting up different vaccination sites at various schools.

On Saturday, August 9th, the Texas Children’s Health Plan is hosting one of its many health fairs around Texas, in Houston. At this event, immunizations, school supplies, and screenings will be provided. Parents will also get the opportunity to educate themselves on well-child checkups, pregnancy and postpartum resources. At this event, families will also have the opportunity to enjoy face painting, community resources, and fun giveaways. It must be noted that all children planning to receive vaccines or screenings must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The Children’s Museum of Houston, in association with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston/Galveston, is administering free back-to-school immunizations for children 6 weeks to 18 years old, every Thursday from July 25th- August 15th, at The Children’s Museum of Houston. Children have to qualify for the Vaccines for Children program and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian in order to participate.

Harris County Precinct 4 is also working towards a healthier school year by hosting various community vaccination events from August 2nd to August 26th. School supplies and immunizations will also be provided at all these events, and parents are encouraged to bring their child’s vaccination records and for people who are over 18, valid identification is encouraged.