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Dr. Stella Ocampo is a Pediatrician at our La Junta Clinic. |
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. In the article below Dr. Stella Ocampo discusses the importance of having your children vaccinated.
Dr. Ocampo is a Pediatrician at our La Junta Clinic.
- Immunizations keep children healthy. Immunizations are small amount of weakened or killed virus or bacteria that are injected in the body which triggers the body’s immune response to produce antibodies such that if one is exposed to the actual disease, the immune system is prepared to fight the infection.
- Immunizations are EFFECTIVE. They protect against diseases like mumps, measles, rubella, chicken pox, Hep A and B, diptheria, tetanus, rotavirus, pneumococcal, Haemophilus influenza type B, influenza, and meningitis. These preventable communicable diseases can cause serious health problems, disability and even death.
- Immunizations are SAFE. Proven benefits far outweighs the risks of minimal side effects associated with vaccinations.
- Immunizations SAVE LIVES. Not only do immunizations protect vaccinated children, higher immunizations rate protect vulnerable children and seniors who are too young or too old to be vaccinated as well as those who are too sick to receive vaccinations. This is called the cocooning effect.
- Immunizations like HPV vaccine can PREVENT cancer specifically genital and oral cancer.
- Immunizations DO NOT cause autism. Scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that there is no correlation between vaccines and MMR and thimerosal.
As more children are not vaccinated or on a delayed schedule, herd immunity (protection that occurs with a population who is immune from a disease thereby providing a measure of protection to unvaccinated children) decreases which increases the risk of outbreaks in a population like the recent increase in measles not only in the United States but in the world.
Immunizations may be obtained through your primary care providers or through the Health Department.
A healthy child makes a healthy adult. Immunize your children today!
Valley-Wide Health Systems is committed to providing information conducive to a healthy active lifestyle. For more information and to discuss your wellness journey with a provider visit us at valley-widehealth.org.
