Wauseon, OH – National Immunization Week is recognized during the last week of April each year. This is an opportunity to highlight the benefits of vaccinating children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Now is the time to focus on catching up adults and children who may have missed other routine vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the 1100’s people have been trying to create ways to prevent terrible diseases from killing so many people, such as smallpox. It is no different in 2023.
The greatest minds are still working on vaccines that will save lives from these horrible diseases. Vaccines are one of the ten greatest discoveries in public health in the twentieth century.
New ways of creating and manufacturing vaccines came about with the COVID- 19 pandemic. We needed a safe and effective vaccine quickly and because of the advanced technology, it happened.
The truth of the matter is; vaccines have and will save lives. The amount of outbreaks have decreased since vaccines have come into existence.
New vaccines continue to remain on the horizon. As we identify more diseases, more vaccines will be available.
Vaccines are one of the few things that continue throughout the lifespan. One is never too young or too old for a vaccine.
As we near the 2023-2024 school shot season, and think about our own vaccine history, we are reminded of those who did not have the opportunity to prevent devastating disease. We are fortunate to have vaccines as a part of our lives, so BE WISE, and IMMUNIZE.
Top Ten Reasons to Protect Your Child by Vaccinating (source: Immunize.org)
- Parents want to do all they can to be sure their children are healthy and protected from diseases. Vaccination is the best way to do that.
- Vaccination protects children from serious illness. Vaccines prevent diseases that can lead to loss of an arm or leg, needing hospital care, pneumonia, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death.
- Vaccination can prevent diseases such as measles, whooping cough, COVID-19, and influenza that are still a threat. These diseases keep harming U.S. children and leading to hospital care and deaths every year.
- Some diseases, such as measles, are still common in other countries. A traveler can bring the disease to the U.S., or your child can get it while traveling.
- Outbreaks of diseases that could be prevented by vaccination occur when many parents decide not to vaccinate their children.
- Vaccination is safe and it works! Scientists, doctors, and the U.S. government do long and careful reviews of each vaccine to be sure they are safe.
- Trusted leaders in the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all strongly support protecting children with recommended vaccinations. And they get their own kids vaccinated!
- Vaccination protects others you care about, including family members, friends, and community members.
- If children aren’t vaccinated, they can spread disease to others. Disease could spread to another child who is too young to be vaccinated. It could spread to a person with a weak immune system due to cancer and certain medicines. No one wants to cause these vulnerable people long-term harm or even death.
- We all work to make our communities stronger and to protect each other and each other’s children. Vaccinating our own family members is the best for them and our communities.
For more information, contact the Fulton County Health Department at 419-337-0915 or www.fultoncountyhealthdept.com .
