Vaccination can protect children's health

April 15, 2008 04:02 pm

— Submitted by the North Georgia Health District

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 as National Infant Immunization Week (April 19-26) approaches.
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.
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.
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:
• Make sure your child is up-to-date on immunizations; visit the Centers for Disease Control’s childhood scheduler online at http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le/ to find out what immunizations your child needs.
• Get an immunization card or record and bring it to every doctors visit.
• Ask at every visit if your child needs an immunization.
• Talk with your child’s doctor and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/vaccines or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information on immunizations.
• Find out if your child may be eligible to get free vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program; visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/ or ask your child's health care provider.