Please use the list below to access the topics of interest to you. Parents want and need information about immunizing their kids against childhood diseases, in order to make informed decisions. Because parents today rarely see the devastating effects of diseases like polio and whooping cough, they might wonder why immunizing their children is still important. They want to do what's best for their kids, and they want to do what they can to protect the public's health, but they may have questions. The following information will provide you facts to help you answer these questions.
Childhood immunizations are a safe and effective way to keep children from getting sick.
In the last 50 years, vaccines have helped to nearly wipe out measles, diphtheria and polio. Vaccines strengthen the immune system by helping the body to recognize and fight the viruses and bacteria that cause disease. Eating right, clean drinking water and sanitation also help stop disease, but even in the cleanest of places, the viruses and bacteria that cause disease and death still exist. Vaccine side effects are very rare. A child's risk of having a health problem from an immunization is much less than their risk of suffering from the disease itself.