This April, National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) will take place April 20-27. This annual observance highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrates the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Since 1994, NIIW has served as a call to action for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure infants are fully immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.
For many younger Americans, it is impossible to think back to what life was like prior to the development of vaccines. However, several milestones have already been reached in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases among infants. Vaccines have drastically reduced infant death and disability caused by preventable diseases in the United States. For example in the 1950s, nearly every child developed measles and, sadly, some even died from this serious disease. Today, few physicians just out of medical school will ever see a case of measles during their careers.
While it is easy to dismiss most vaccine-preventable diseases as diseases of the past, the truth is they still do exist. Children in the U.S. can and do still contract some of these diseases. For example, in 2012 more than 50 people were reported having measles. Additionally in 2012, preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control reported more than 41,000 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in the U.S., including 18 deaths. This was the highest number of pertussis cases in any year in the U.S. since 1955.
A sampling of the vaccines recommended for infants and young children include:
- Chickenpox
- Diphtheria
- Hepatitis A & B
- Measles & Mumps
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
To find out more about vaccines for children, please call 1-800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636).
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