One of the best ways to protect your children and yourself from infectious diseases and promote overall health is through vaccinations.
Vaccinations (or immunizations – the terms can be used interchangeably), can be described as a process of introducing an agent to the body in order to stimulate the immune system to produce the proper antibodies. This way, the body will develop immunity to the disease without getting the actual disease first.
In effect, vaccines don’t treat diseases – they prevent them.
Here are just a few key reasons why protecting your children with immunizations is so important.
- Many infectious diseases such as mumps, measles and whooping cough are still a threat to children but are preventable with vaccines.
- Immunizations are safe and effective, with years of research and clinical studies conducted by doctors, researchers and scientists supporting them.
- If not vaccinated, children can quickly spread disease to other children or those with weakened/compromised immune systems.
- If not vaccinated, the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases increases significantly.
- Immunizing children by age two is critical because children under the age of five have not yet built up the necessary defenses to fight off most infections.
While many vaccines are available and recommended for children, adults can be immunized as well.
We should all be committed to protecting our children and our communities. Immunizations are a safe, effective way to protect your family and others around you from a number of infectious diseases.
For any questions on vaccinations and information on the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, visit www.bchealthdepartment.org/immunizations/ or call us at 815-872-5091.
Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Departments
526 Bureau Valley Parkway
Princeton, IL 61356
Source: The Daily Chronicle
