Broome County Health Department and Broome County Transit Announce Free Bus Rides to and from Back-to-School Vaccine Appointments

Broome County departments are working together to remove transportation barriers to childhood immunization for second year in a row

(BROOME COUNTY, NY) – For July 1st through October 31st, 2026, children and a parent or guardian will be able to ride Broome County Transit buses to and from appointments for back-to-school immunizations at doctors’ offices, walk-ins, or Broome County Health Department. Simply board a regularly scheduled BC Transit bus, tell the driver you are on your way to or returning from getting your child a vaccine, and continue to your destination!

After overwhelmingly positive feedback from schools, families, and healthcare providers, BC Transit and BCHD are partnering to help Broome County residents get to the care they need for the second year in a row. Each year, more than 5 million Americans delay or miss out on routine medical care because they simply cannot get to the doctor. With rising gas prices coupled with changes to health insurance policies, BCHD and BC Transit are determined to make sure that lack of transportation is never the reason a child in Broome County misses out on the vaccines that allow them to grow and thrive.

Disease can spread very quickly in a school setting so all children in daycares, preschools, public, private, and religious schools are required to be up to date on routine childhood vaccines. Children who do not meet these requirements will be excluded from school, including instruction, support services, and after-school activities. Broome County takes the health and safety of our children very seriously and is proud of our schools’ commitment to ensuring their students are protected against deadly and debilitating diseases like polio, meningitis, measles, diphtheria, and more.

BCHD urges parents and guardians to schedule their children’s back-to-school immunization appointments with their healthcare providers as soon as possible. If you need help finding or enrolling in an insurance plan, call 211. If your child is uninsured or you have concerns about paying for vaccines, talk to their healthcare provider about the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. VFC provides vaccines to under- or uninsured children at no cost. A list of providers participating in VFC and their nearest BC Transit route can be found at broomecountyny.gov/hd.

If your child does not have a primary care provider and needs an immunization to attend school, contact the Broome County Health Department at 607-778-2839. BCHD holds an immunization clinic every Thursday by appointment only, located on BC Transit routes #7 and #8!