Protecting Our Future: The Lifesaving Power of Vaccines During National Immunization Awareness Month
By Emily Bush, MD, Pediatrician
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), an annual observance first recognized in 2013 to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Health Partnership Clinic remains committed to keeping patients healthy by helping them stay up to date on recommended vaccines based on age, occupation, or other factors, such as underlying health conditions.
This is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and encourage individuals to speak with their health care providers about staying current on their immunizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines immunization as the process of gaining protection against disease. While the terms “immunization” and “vaccination” are often used interchangeably, they are slightly different: vaccines are the tools used for immunization, designed to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Most vaccines are given by injection, but some—like the oral rotavirus vaccine, given to infants at two and four months of age—are administered differently.
Vaccines protect us from many dangerous, preventable diseases, including varicella (chickenpox), influenza (flu), hepatitis, measles, mumps, meningococcal disease, pneumonia, shingles, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and more. Immunization not only helps protect individuals and their loved ones from getting sick, but it also helps prevent the spread of disease to those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants or individuals with compromised immune systems.
Vaccines have significantly reduced, and in some cases eradicated, serious illnesses that once caused widespread disability and death. Polio, for example, crippled thousands—including President Franklin D. Roosevelt—before the vaccine was introduced in 1955. The widespread use of the polio vaccine led to the elimination of the disease in the United States by 1979.
August is also back-to-school season, which often brings reminders about vaccine requirements for children entering certain grades. While it’s important to stay on top of these requirements, there are also other recommended vaccines that are just as vital for protecting against disease. One example is the HPV vaccine—a safe and highly effective way to prevent infection with certain types of human papillomavirus, which can cause various cancers and genital warts.
Many people think of vaccines as something for children, but adults also need to stay up to date. Routine adult immunizations may include the Tdap booster—recommended every 10 years to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The Tdap is also advised during each pregnancy to help protect newborns from these infections. Adults over age 50 should receive two doses of the shingles vaccine, and those 65 and older should receive the pneumonia vaccine. The CDC also recommends that nearly everyone age 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine, typically administered in the fall before flu season begins, for the best protection.
Vaccines remain one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. This August, take a moment to review your immunization history and give us a call at 913-648-2266 to schedule an appointment or attend our Pediatric Walk-In Clinic Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 407 S. Clairborne Rd., Ste. 104, Olathe, KS 66062.