Published: April 14, 2008 11:37 am            

National Infant Immunization Week upcoming

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 19 – 26 and public health departments in the North Georgia Health District are reminding parents that vaccination is one of the most important ways they can protect their child’s health.

Vaccines are one of the most successful and cost-effective public health tools for preventing serious disease and death. Diseases that were once commonplace, such as polio, measles, mumps, whooping cough, diphtheria and rubella, are now only distant memories for most Americans. Today, there are few reminders of the suffering, disabilities, and premature deaths caused by diseases that are now preventable with vaccines.

Immunization coverage among children in the United States is nearing the highest ever recorded for most vaccines, which translates into record or near record low levels of vaccine-preventable disease. However, the disadvantage of this success is that most parents today have never seen these diseases and the suffering they can cause, so they are less concerned about the need for immunization than they are about other parental priorities. It is imperative that parents realize these diseases are not diseases of the past. They still exist and circulate in many parts of the world.

More than one million of our nation’s two-year-olds are still missing one or more of the recommended immunizations. Each day 12,000 babies are born who will need to be immunized against 14 diseases before age two.

Low immunization coverage affects the entire community. Vaccinating a child not only protects that individual child, but also reduces the spread of disease to others who have not been vaccinated either by choice or because of medical reasons, such as children with leukemia.

Parents and health care providers must work together to ensure that all children are fully immunized. Parents can:

1. Make sure your child is up-to-date on immunizations. Visit CDC’s childhood scheduler online at www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le/ to find out what immunizations your child needs.

2. Get an immunization card or record and bring it to every doctor visit.

3. Ask at every visit if your child needs an immunization.

4. Talk with your child’s doctor and don’t be afraid to ask questions;

5. Visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/vaccines or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information on immunizations.

6. Find out if your child may be eligible to get free vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/ or ask your child’s healthcare provider.

        

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