Get back on track with your immunizations.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. We know that busy schedules can sometimes impact your ability to attend important appointments and receive routine vaccinations. During NIAM, we encourage you to talk to your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider to ensure you and your family are protected against serious diseases by getting caught up on routine vaccination.
Both adults and children should stay up to date on their immunizations to stay healthy and prevent infection. The immune system is the body's defense system to keep you healthy. The immune system intersects with almost every aspect of human health and disease. When it is functioning correctly, it keeps you from getting sick. Vaccines are a way to train the immune system and establish memory ahead of time without the risk of infection, providing effective immunization against specific diseases. To learn more about the immune system and its relation to health, visit immunologyexplained.aai.org.
Why is it important to get regular immunizations, especially for children?
Vaccines are one of the most important advances in the history of medicine, preventing millions of deaths from diseases every year. Thanks to vaccines, once-feared diseases such as polio and measles are now rarer threats. Staying up to date on vaccines can protect both yourself and those around you by preventing the spread of disease. Vaccination is much safer than trying to develop natural immunity from a disease because some diseases can have lasting, damaging effects on your body.
Where can I learn more?
Information for Parents: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/index.html https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/immunizations/
Vaccines for Adults: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/index.html