As summer begins to wind down, children will be headed back to school or beginning school for their first time. This can be a busy time for parents as they start shopping for backpacks, binders, pens/pencils, clothes, shoes and a number of other items that will help their children have a great start to the school year. But let’s not forget the most important item on our back-to-school checklist: immunizations. This action, above all, will help ensure your child has a healthy and successful year.
The month of August is National Immunization Awareness Month which is sponsored by the CDC and coordinated by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). This initiative not only focuses on children going back-to-school but provides an opportunity to highlight the value of immunization across the lifespan. Activities focus on encouraging all people to protect their health by being vaccinated against infectious diseases.
Visit the NPHIC https://www.nphic.org/niam or CDC https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html for more information regarding immunization recommendations for pregnant women, infants/young children, school-age children, pre-teen/teen & adults. Also, for UCI students, please visit the Student Health Center http://www.shs.uci.edu/ for additional questions/consultation regarding immunizations.
Important Messages:
- Vaccines protect against serious diseases.
- These diseases still exist and outbreaks do occur.
- Vaccines are recommended throughout our lives.
- Vaccines are very safe.
