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BEST PRACTICES: IMMUNIZATIONS
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Topic Overview
Vaccines prevent disease in the people who receive them and protect
those who come into contact with unvaccinated individuals. Vaccines
help prevent infectious diseases and save lives. Vaccines are
responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once
common in this country, including polio, measles, diphtheria,
pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus,
and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). While the US currently
has record, or near record, low cases of vaccine-preventable diseases,
the viruses and bacteria that cause them still exist. Even diseases
that have been eliminated in this country, such as polio, are only a
plane ride away. Polio, and other infectious diseases, can be passed
on to 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.
If a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease germ, the
child’s body may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Before
vaccines, many children died from diseases that vaccines now prevent.
Immunizing individual children also helps to protect the health of our
community, especially those people who are not immunized. People who
are not immunized include those who are too young to be vaccinated
(e.g., children less than a year old cannot receive the measles
vaccine but can be infected by the measles virus), those who cannot be
vaccinated for medical reasons (e.g., children with leukemia), and
those who cannot make an adequate response to vaccination. Also
protected, therefore, are people who received a vaccine, but who have
not developed immunity. In addition, people who are sick will be less
likely to be exposed to disease germs that can be passed around by
unvaccinated children.
Background Documents
Recommended Strategies
Related Topics
Resources
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