August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Immunizations Are Incredibly Important to You Child’s Health

With August upon us, many parents are in the middle of getting their children ready for the new school year. This includes getting them school supplies, getting their sports physicals, and much more. While August does mean that the school’s back, physicians across the country recognize it as National Immunization Awareness Month.

The importance of vaccines cannot be understated. They are considered one of the greatest public health achievements in history. National Immunization Awareness Month presents the opportunity for pediatricians and other healthcare professionals to spread important information about vaccines.

The Importance of Vaccines

Medical professionals all across the world use vaccines to protect the public from serious, and sometimes deadly, preventable diseases. Unfortunately, the internet has seen the spread of misinformation regarding vaccines, leading many to believe they are dangerous. However, a massive study done in Denmark found no connection between vaccines and the development of measles, mumps, rubella, or autism. 600,000 Danish children were studied over 20 years, leading to these results.

There are several reasons why vaccines are so important, including:

Vaccinations Save Lives. In the past, many of the diseases vaccines help prevent would frequently severely harm many children and adults, occasionally leading to death. Diseases such as smallpox and wild poliovirus have been eliminated in the U.S. Other life-threatening diseases such as measles have been significantly reduced.

Vaccines Haven’t Eliminated All Diseases. While vaccines have eliminated some diseases, some still pose serious threats to the health of children. Unfortunately, there have been many measles outbreaks in the U.S. in 2019. Only immunizations can protect your family.

Immunizations Protect Others. While vaccines do protect many children from preventable illnesses, there are still several individuals who can’t get vaccinated. Some babies are too young for vaccines, and some kids have allergies to certain vaccines. Immunizations to those who can receive them can keep these individuals healthy.

By following the correct immunization schedule, you can save your family time and money by making sure they stay healthy and require no further medical treatment.

Spreading Awareness

Many healthcare providers, including Tots N Teens Pediatrics, use National Immunization Awareness Month to encourage individuals to learn more about how immunizations can help their communities.

To spread awareness yourself, you can:

• Provide friends and family with information regarding vaccines and their benefits. You can use the information provided in this article to share with them.
• Encourage loved ones and people in your community to get a flu vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is the most common and can help people begin to learn about other immunizations.
• Invite a doctor or other healthcare professional to speak to parents and other members of your community. They will be able to thoroughly and accurately explain the importance of vaccinations.
• Through social media, you can spread the word about National Immunization Awareness Month by posting important information.

Children head back to school in August. It is no wonder why the National Immunization Awareness Month occurs during this month. Vaccines protect your children from many diseases they may come in contact with at school and protects other children and teachers as well. If you are interested in learning more about immunizations or wish to spread awareness, contact Tots N Teens Pediatrics to receive information.