BCHD Clinics and Screenings

Uninsured individuals who are in need of treatment for breast, cervical, colorectal, or prostate cancer may be eligible for Medicaid coverage through the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program.  Call 607-778-3900 or visit NYSDOH’s Cancer Services Program website for more information.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine that people at risk for HIV can take to prevent them from getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. People of any gender or sexual orientation can take PrEP. Learn more about PrEP from the CDC, New York State Department of Health, or your healthcare provider.

PrEP does not protect against other STIs. Don’t forget take other steps to protect yourself from other STIs, like using a condom or getting vaccinated!
 

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is medicine that can be taken in emergency situations by an HIV-negative person to prevent HIV after a possible recent exposure. Possible exposures may include: 
•    No condom or condom broke during sex with someone who is HIV positive or whose HIV status you do not know
•    Shared needles or other equipment to inject drugs
•    Sexual assault
•    Occupational exposure (e.g. accidental needle stick)

If you believe you may have been exposed to HIV, don’t wait to start PEP; it must be started within 72 hours of exposure to HIV. Contact your healthcare provider or visit the emergency room right away. Learn more about PEP on the CDC’s website.
 

No, we do not offer flu shots to the general public. Please make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a local pharmacy.

Did you know that babies can be protected from 14 different illnesses by the age of two through vaccination?! Learn which vaccines those are and when your child needs them by visiting the CDC.

• Click here for information for birth through 6 years.
• Click here for information for age 7 years and older.

Vaccines are not just for kids! Adults are recommended to get vaccines across the lifespan, based on age, lifestyle, and other factors. Learn which vaccines you may need as an adult from the CDC.

We recommend that everyone have a primary provider and that people get their vaccines from them. If you do not have a primary care provider and need vaccines, call our Immunization Clinic at 607-778-2839.

No, Broome County Health Department no longer offers travel vaccines. If you are traveling out of country and looking for vaccines/ medication required for your destination, please make an appointment with one of the following approximately 4-6 weeks before you travel:

• UHS Occupational Medicine, 607-762-2333
• Guthrie Lourdes Occupational Health, 607-251-2170
• Passport Health, multiple locations. Visit their website to find a location with the vaccines you need.
   

Give us a call at 607-778-2839 and you’ll be directed to one of our immunization staff members. 

To get the latest in immunization news and access to professional development opportunities, join the Broome County Adult Immunization Coalition! To learn more, email chelsea.reome-nedlik@broomecountyny.gov. 
 

Give us a call at 607-778-2839 and you’ll be directed to one of our immunization staff members.

Click here for the 2024-2025 school immunization requirements.

Our clinic services are open to Broome County residents only. These include HIV testing & counseling, STI clinic, immunization clinic, mpox clinics, and tuberculosis clinic. 

The Southern Tier Cancer Services Program serves people without health insurance in Broome, Tioga, Chemung, Chenango, and Schuyler Counties. 
 

You can come to one of our clinics whether you have insurance or not. No one will be turned away for lack of insurance or inability to pay. If you have insurance, we will bill it. But if you are uninsured and/ or worried about paying out of pocket, ask us about our sliding fee scale, which is based on your income.

If you are uninsured or underinsured, we participate in Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adults (VFA). These programs provide vaccines at no cost to people who are uninsured or under-insured, but you may still be responsible for an administration fee. Call us with any questions at 607-778-2839.
 

For STD Clinic, minors (people under 18 years old) do not need to come with a parent or parental consent to be seen in our STD clinic. 

For all other clinics, minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
 

Both! STD stands for "sexually transmitted disease" and STI stands for "sexually transmitted infection." People often use the terms interchangeably, but "STI" has become more common in recent years, especially among healthcare providers. STI is more accurate because an infection is what is actually spread from person to person through sexual contact in the form of a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite. Our goal is to prevent the spread and to treat the infection before it develops into the disease. Remember, you can have an infection without having any symptoms-- which is why it's so important to get tested!

To learn more about these terms, click this link to the CDC website.

While BCHD generally uses STI, both terms appear on this page to make it easier to find no matter what words someone types into a search engine.

It can be hard to find credible, trustworthy information on immunizations. Here are some links to resources that we use everyday!

The Human Immune System and How it Works from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Vaccine Safety from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

How Vaccines are Made, Approved, and Recommended from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

History of Vaccines from the World Health Organization

How Vaccines Work from the World Health Organization

Want to find more resources? Search the Vaccine Safety Net for up to date and accurate information!

Remember, you can tell if a website is accurate by asking a few simple questions:

• What is the source of the information? If the source uses numbers or quotes, where do they come from?
• Who manages the website? Is there someone responsible for looking it over and making sure the information is correct?
• Why are they publishing this information? It takes time and work to manage a website! Is the publisher hoping to get something from you in return?
• How current is the information? Can you tell when it was published or last reviewed?
• What letters are at the end of the website address? (In the United States, websites run by governments in end in ".gov" and websites run by universities end in ".edu" and are generally trustworthy. Organizations or for-profit companies will end in ".org" or ".com" and may still be trustworthy, but check closely!)

And you can always talk with your healthcare provider if you're unsure about what you find or if you have questions!

For more tips on evaluating health information, check out this guide from the National Library of Medicine!