WORLDWIDE CONTACT US ABOUT US INVENTING FOR LIFE PRODUCTS RESEARCH LICENSING NEWSROOM CAREERS INVESTORS Home AUGUST IS NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Merck recognizes the National Public Health Information Coalition’s efforts to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing diseases across a lifetime. Vaccines are one of the greatest public health success stories of the last two centuries, eradicating smallpox and nearly eliminating other diseases like polio worldwide. IMPACT OF VACCINES GLOBALLY, vaccines help prevent at least 30 infectious diseases, according to World Health Organization IN THE U.S., it is estimated that vaccination programs have helped prevent millions of cases of contagious diseases Despite recommendations, increases in adult and certain adolescent vaccination rates are needed. AUGUST IS A PERFECT TIME TO CHECK IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE UP-TO-DATE ON RECOMMENDED VACCINES Annual wellness visits or back-to-school checkups are the perfect time to make sure your family is up-to-date on recommended vaccines and ready for the new school year. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VACCINES VISIT CDC.GOV. Published August 2018 Copyright. © 2009-2018 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map