ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - With the first day of school nearing, parents are being reminded to make sure their children meet Texas immunization requirements before classes begin.

To help families get ready, the Ector County Health Department is holding its annual back-to-school immunization clinics in July, aimed at assisting families who are uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid."Your vaccines can be very expensive," said Brandy Garcia, director of the Ector County Health Department.

"Whenever they're going into 4th and 7th grade it's not one vaccine, it's multiple vaccines that they're going to need. And if they are not caught up to date on vaccines then we have to catch them up... which can really add up."Health department officials say the event is designed to be more than just a visit for shots, with efforts to make the clinic experience fun and welcoming for children coming in for vaccinations.