WiRED International Observes National Immunization Awareness Month

BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW AND BERNICE BORN

August is National Immunization Awareness Month — a reminder to make sure that everyone is up to date on inoculations.

 

If we stopped vaccinating, what would happen?

 

Vaccines don’t protect just a single person — the more people who are vaccinated, the less likely a disease can spread. Although countries like the United States have low rates of vaccine-preventable diseases, illnesses such as polio and measles haven’t disappeared in other parts of the world.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that if people let themselves become vulnerable by not vaccinating, a case that could touch off an outbreak of a disease that is currently under control is just an airplane ride away.

 

WiRED International emphasizes the importance of vaccination in many of its Health Learning Center modules, such as Yellow Fever, and Polio. Immunization is especially crucial to children’s health, and WiRED discusses the issue in its Child Growth and Development module in English and in Spanish. CDC states that each year many adults suffer needlessly, are hospitalized and even die as a result of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. Most adults are unaware that they need vaccines throughout their lives to protect against diseases like shingles, pertussis and hepatitis.

 

Before the busy fall season begins, WiRED urges people to talk to their healthcare professionals about immunizations.