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Immunizations
Encouraged
Press Release
April 18, 2006
To
The Editor:
The Galveston County Health District
along with community partners will be conducting outreach activities to help get
kids vaccinated during National Infant Immunization Week April 22-29. As Vice
Chair of the Galveston County United Board of Health and a member of the
District’s immunization advisory council I welcome the opportunity to
participate in these activities.
Vaccines work; they are superb, cost-effective tools to
prevent disease. During National Infant Immunization Week and throughout the
year, we encourage parents and health care providers to check preschoolers’ shot
records, to make sure that our children are getting the shots they need when
they need them.
We can now protect children from more vaccine preventable
diseases than ever before. However even with the success of vaccines we are
still seeing occurrences of vaccine preventable illness in Galveston County.
In 2005 there were 88 cases of Chickenpox reported in the
county, 6 type B Hepatitis cases, and 11 cases of Pertussis or Whooping Cough.
All of these cases are preventable when a child is adequately immunized.
Whooping cough is a great example of the need for childhood immunizations.
During the 20th
century, Whooping cough was one of the most common childhood diseases and a
major cause of childhood death. After the widespread use of whooping cough
vaccine began, cases fell by more than 98 percent. In recent years we have seen
cases of Whooping cough increasing which heightens the need for adequately
immunized children.While adults may recover from
the illness it can cause great suffering in young children and often makes
infants so ill they need to be hospitalized. Making sure a child is adequately
immunized against this illness not only protects them but their family and
community as well by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious agents.
Of course Whooping Cough is
only one illness among ten that require a vaccination. It should serve as a
reminder to parents that many vaccine preventable diseases are still circulating
and can return with a vengeance if we fail to maintain high childhood
immunization coverage.
The Galveston County Health
District has taken the lead to make sure our local community continually works
toward a goal of 90 percent of all children being adequately immunized. The
Immunization Advisory Council meets on a regular basis with broad representation
from the community to brainstorm and plan activities that make the availability
and importance of vaccinations known to parents and other caregivers.
The Council has also developed
a website (www.gchd.org/councils/immindex.htm)
with immunization information for both the public and health professionals that
feature frequently asked questions and answers. They have also been
instrumental in gathering more community support for public immunization
efforts. Because of these efforts the Galveston County Health District gave a
total of 18,491 immunizations to kids 18 and younger in 2005.
While the immunization rate in
Galveston County has shown improvement over the past several years, we recognize
there is still room for more improvement. We will do our part but we ask the
entire community for help in protecting our children.
Everyone is encouraged to visit
one of our vaccination clinics during National Infant Immunization Week. For
more information on locations and times of the clinics call (409) 938-2244 or
visit the Health District’s web site at
www.gchd.org.
When it comes to our children;
love them, protect them, and immunize them.
Dr. Ben Raimer
Galveston County United Board of Health
Vice Chair
For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
409-938-2211 or 409-392-0007
kkoopman@gchd.org |
