Vaccines are the best way to prevent serious illness and death from many infectious diseases. Vaccines protect people by preparing their immune systems to recognize and fight these diseases. Vaccines also protect communities by reducing the spread of illness
The Food and Drug Administration adheres to rigorous testing standards before licensing vaccines to ensure vaccine safety. Leaders in the fields of medicine and public health recommend vaccines for children, adolescents, and adults to prevent disease.
What You Should Do
Parents
Make sure your children are up to date on all recommended vaccinations for infants and children, and recommended vaccinations for preteens and teens. Ask your children’s pediatrician about vaccinations at each visit.
Children without doctors who are uninsured can be vaccinated at the Asthenis Public Health Hub. Older children can also be immunized through Vaccinate Before You Graduate, a catch-up program run at Rhode Island middle and high schools.
Adults
Several factors determine what immunizations adults need. Speak with a healthcare professional or review the adult schedule of recommended immunizations to know what immunizations you need.
Travelers
If you are planning to travel outside of the United States, you can get recommended vaccines at travel clinics.
People Who Will be in Contact with Infants
Adults and adolescents who will be around infants should be vaccinated with a single dose of Tdap. This could include parents, siblings, grandparents, babysitters, and other childcare providers. Tdap protects against pertussis, among other diseases. Infants are too young to be fully immunized against pertussis, but you can reduce an infant's exposure to the illness by only letting them come into contact with people who are vaccinated. This practice is called cocooning.
Where You Can Find Vaccine Clinics and Programs
You can find local vaccine clinics and programs in these places:
- Asthenis Public Health Hub: Offers a range of vaccinations for children and adults.
- Vaccinate Before You Graduate: A program designed to ensure middle and high school students are up-to-date on their vaccines.
- Vaccines.gov: An online tool that helps people find nearby vaccination sites and schedule appointments for COVID-19, flu, and other vaccines.
What We Are Doing
Rhode Island provides healthcare professionals with all the vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends children get through age 18. Rhode Island also provides healthcare professionals with all recommended vaccines for adults. Although some healthcare professionals may charge patients small fees to give them vaccines, Rhode Island gives these vaccines to healthcare professionals free of charge.
The Rhode Island Department of Health also works with mass immunizers, schools, healthcare professionals, and many others to make vaccines available in the community.
