What are vaccines?
Vaccines protect children by strengthening their immunity or their body’s ability to fight off diseases. Thanks to vaccinations also know as shots, or immunizations, many infectious diseases that infected and sometimes killed many infants, children, and adults are now largely under control. Vaccinations protect children from some serious, and potentially deadly diseases. But the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases still exist and can be passed on to people who are not protected by vaccines. To help prevent this from happening it is very important to continue to vaccinate our children against these illnesses. Without vaccines, epidemics of many preventable diseases, like polio or measles, could return again, resulting in increased and unnecessary illness, disability, and death among our children.
Vaccinations can protect your child from:
- Polio
- Tetanus or Lockjaw
- Diphtheria
- Pertussis or Whooping Cough
- Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
- Meningitis
- Hepatitis
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella or German Measles
- Pneumococcal Disease
- Varicella or Chickenpox.
- Rotavirus
- HPV Virus
You can get vaccinations for your child at a nearby health clinic or at your doctor’s office.