Immunization Awareness Month

August has been designated Immunization Awareness Month. This is a particularly good time to focus community attention on the value of immunization because in August parents enroll children in school, older students enter college, and adults and the healthcare community start preparing for the upcoming flu season. In New York, state law requires all public and private day care centers and schools to deny entry to any child who does not have proof of mandated age and grade-appropriate immunizations.

Immunization is an important aspect of preventive medicine, appropriate for people of all ages. Many people believe that immunizations are only important for infants and children; however, immunization programs are essential for adults as well.

Thanks to vaccines and immunization programs, many infectious diseases that were once common in the United States - such as polio, measles, diphtheria and pertussis - are rarely seen or experienced. Thanks to vaccines, the medical community is able to prevent diseases - a far better alternative than having to treat a disease and its potentially serious complications. Most of the routinely recommended vaccines bring an additional benefit - they not only prevent disease in the people who receive them but provide “community” immunity as well.

Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, thousands of cases of infectious diseases still continue to occur in the United States annually – diseases that could be prevented by immunization. The Medical Society of the State of New York has, therefore, joined with other organizations throughout the country to observe National Immunization Awareness Month and promote the message in this year’s campaign theme - Are You Up to Date? Vaccinate! - which was adopted to remind persons of all ages about the importance of immunization.

Immunization Facts that Prove the Value of Vaccinations:

· Pneumococcal disease causes thousands of deaths and 175,000 hospitalizations each year in the US. Together, pneumonia and influenza are the seventh leading cause of death in the US, and the sixth leading cause of death among people 65 years of age and older.

· Disease outbreaks occur when immunization rates decline. For example, from 1989 through 1991, low rates of measles, mumps and rubella immunization among pre-school aged children resulted in a measles epidemic that caused over 55,000 cases and 120 deaths.

· Chickenpox is widespread in the US, and virtually everyone who is not vaccinated is at increased risk for contracting chickenpox in adulthood. The risk of complications and death from chickenpox can be up to 10 to 20 times greater for adults than for children.

· Each year in the US, there are an average of 200,000 influenza-related hospitalizations and 36,000 influenza-related deaths. Approximately 340,000 children and adolescents have chronic illnesses that place them at increased risk for influenza disease and its complications.

· Nearly one-third of the 12,000 annual cases of meningococcal disease in the US result in fatalities or severe disabilities. In 2002, an estimated 150 deaths due to meningococcal disease occurred in this country. Infants under 12 months of age have the highest rates of disease. The proportion of cases among adolescents and young adults has increased in recent years.

Immunization: A Community Effort

Immunization provides a lifelong, life-protecting community health benefit. Your physician, local health department, the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, therefore, recommend that vaccinations begin soon after birth and continue throughout life. By protecting ourselves and our families with recommended vaccinations, we also protect those around us who would otherwise be exposed to vaccine-preventable diseases.

The viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases and death still exist and can infect people who are not protected by vaccines. Vaccine-preventable diseases have a costly impact, resulting in doctor’s visits, hospitalizations and premature deaths. Sick children can also cause parents to lose time from work.

Maintaining high immunization rates protects the entire community by interrupting the transmission of disease-causing bacteria or viruses. This reduces the risk that people not immunized will be exposed to disease-causing agents. Known as “community or herd immunity,” this type of protection embodies the concept that protecting the majority with safe, effective vaccines also protects those who cannot be immunized for medical reasons.

The Medical Society of the State of New York encourages people of all ages to learn more about the recommended and required vaccines and to make sure that they are up-to-date. If you want to know more about a particular vaccine or whether you or your child has had a particular vaccination, ask your doctor. All immunizations are part of a patient’s record. Immunization guidelines are on the New York State Department of Health’s website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/. For additional re- sources and further information about National Immunization Awareness Month, visit the website of the National Partnership for Immunization at http://www.partnersforimmunization.org/.

This information is provided by the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY). For more health-related information and referrals to physicians in your community, contact your local county medical society.