Immunization Awareness
National Immunization Awareness Month is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) and is observed in August annually across the USA.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating people of all ages against a number of serious and sometimes deadly diseases. The awareness month also celebrates the successes of the different immunizations that have been created in the 20th century and beyond.
Immunizations are not just for children. Protection from some childhood vaccines can wear off over time. You may also be at risk for vaccine-preventable disease due to your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health conditions.
All adults need immunizations to help them prevent getting and spreading serious diseases that could result in poor health, missed work, medical bills, and not being able to care for family.
- All adults need a seasonal flu (influenza) vaccine every year. Flu vaccine is especially important for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and older adults.
- Every adult should get a Tdap vaccine once if they did not receive it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough), and then a Td (tetanus, diphtheria) or Tdap booster shot every 10 years. In addition, women should get the Tdap vaccine each time they are pregnant, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.
Every year, the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC), in collaboration with CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, has develops a communication toolkit for use in your communities, schools and workplaces and encourages people to become involved, raise awareness and most important of all, get immunized. There are 4 key messages of the toolkits that produced annually, these being:
Vaccines protect against serious diseases.
These diseases still exist, and outbreaks do occur.
Vaccines are recommended throughout our lives.
Vaccines are very safe.
For additional information please refer to CDC website
