Of the follow diseases, which ones do you still have to worry about catching: mumps, rotavirus, whooping cough, measles, or polio? None of them, right? As the American Academy of Pediatrics notes, the eradication of these diseases is thanks to immunizations, also known as vaccinations or shots, which empower children and adults living in the modern world to live with less fear of getting seriously sick.
But immunizations aren’t something anyone should take for granted, and that’s one of the reasons that agencies such as the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services observe National Immunization Awareness Month every August.
The observation serves as a reminder for everyone to stay up to date on their vaccinations and to encourage their family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to do the same.
It’s also a month for reaffirming the role of health care professionals in this regard. “You have the power to protect your patients against serious diseases,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds them. “Healthcare professionals are the most valued and trusted source of health information for adults.”
The hope is that raising awareness will mean more people get immunized, leading to healthier communities. As an example of the power of vaccinations, the American Academy of Pediatrics cites polio, an infectious disease that was of great concern in the earlier half of the 20th century.
In those days, parents wouldn’t let their children go in public swimming pools or to crowded movie theaters for fear of catching the poliovirus, which causes paralysis of the muscles, physical impairments, and lifelong disabilities, and even death. When the polio vaccine became available in the 1950s, it led to fewer and fewer cases. By the end of the 20th century, polio was eliminated from the Western Hemisphere.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages parents to talk to their doctor about a schedule of when children should be immunized and for what. An annual checkup with a pediatrician will help ensure a child gets all the vaccinations he or she needs. This is especially important headed into a new school year, as some schools require a certificate of immunization.
Children starting preschool (age 4 through 6) should get vaccinated against chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, flu, measles, mumps, rubella, and polio, whereas children in their elementary years (ages 7 through 10) should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October if possible. Children will need different vaccines as they get older—for example, among the vaccines that preteens need to get is the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine, which protects against meningococcal disease, the cause of meningitis.
A full list of vaccinations children should get before school is available by visiting health.maryland.gov and searching “immunizations.”