News

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. You have the power to protect yourself and your family against serious diseases like measles, whooping cough, cancers caused by HPV, and pneumonia with vaccines.

Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is one of the most important things parents can do to help protect their children’s health—and that of their classmates and their community. Most schools require children to be current on vaccinations before enrolling to protect the health of all students.

When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of disease and can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community—including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.

As children head back to school this fall, make sure vaccination is at the top of your checklist. We encourage you to visit CDC’s Interactive Vaccine Guide, which provides information on the vaccines recommended during pregnancy and throughout your child’s life, as well as CDC’s recommended immunization schedule.

Through WithinReach’s Immunity Community, we focus on the positive aspects of vaccines and work to ensure all families and communities live a healthy, thriving life. Find more tools to activate, educate, engage and protect at www.immunitycommunitywa.org.