National Infant Immunization Week is an annual observance of the benefits of immunizations to help improve the health of children two years or younger.
“It highlights the importance of protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases and it celebrates the accomplishments of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities,” said Dr. Caroline T. Majors of the Covenant Medical Group.
There are currently 14 vaccine-preventable diseases including polio and tetanus. Many of these diseases are forgotten but as Dr. Majors points out they are not gone.
“People think these diseases are gone so why should we vaccinate?” said Dr. Majors. “In fact, the reason they are gone is because of immunizations.”
An example of the seriousness is the increase of measles cases in 2014. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 667 cases in 27 states. This was the highest number of cases in the U.S. since measles was eliminated in 2000.
This week serves as a reminder that getting your children vaccinated in a timely fashion and making sure everyone in your family is up-to-date on immunizations can help prevent an outbreak.
“This is what we call herd immunity,” said Dr. Majors. “When the critical portion is vaccinated or the people in the community will be protected from the diseases and there is little opportunity for outbreak.”
