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Annual Observances Remind Parents to Immunize Children
National Infant Immunization Week and Vaccination Week in the Americas observed the week of April 22-29, 2006, raise awareness about the importance of vaccinating children
Written by
Katie Lawson
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Thursday, April 27, 2006 — Each day, 11,000 babies are born in the United States who will need to be immunized against 13 diseases before the age two. Even with the increased awareness of immunization, 20 percent of the nation’s two-year-olds will not be fully immunized. National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 22-29, seeks to raise awareness about and promote the benefits of vaccinating against childhood illness. NIIW is observed in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization’s Vaccination Week in the Americas.
What parent’s heart doesn’t break to see this look on a child's face? The tears are temporary though—and common among infants receiving shots whether they are administered in a doctor's office in the U.S. or at mass vaccination posts halfway around the world—while the benefits of immunization are long-lasting and far reaching.
(Photo credit: Daniel Cima/American Red Cross)
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Launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1994, NIIW enables state and local health departments, health care providers and community leaders to highlight the positive impact of immunization on the lives of infants and young children.
This year’s NIIW theme is “Love them. Protect them. Immunize them.” While routine vaccinations have greatly reduced infant morality rates in the U.S., even with efforts to maintain immunization programs here and strengthen them worldwide, vaccine-preventable diseases still remain a threat to children. Unlike so many developing countries around the world, vaccinations are readily available in the United States, meaning that no child should have suffer from a vaccine-preventable disease. A recent outbreak in mumps in the U.S. points to the critical importance of regular and up-to-date vaccinations.
Julie Reynes, Executive Director of International Services for the American Red Cross, spends time with a young girl at a vaccination post in Benin.
(Photo credit: Daniel Cima/American Red Cross)
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Many populations around the world still have limited access to vaccines or even regular, consistent medical care, which means that vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are more deadly both due to limited access to preventative measures and treatment options. For most of the American public measles is a distant memory as it has been virtually eliminated in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, it remains the leading vaccine-preventable childhood killer in the world. In Africa there are 38 million children at risk for measles and only half of these have routine access to vaccination services, making it the leading cause of death among children there.
In response to this epidemic, in February 2001, the Red Cross launched the Measles Initiative with partners UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, CDC and the World Health Organization. The Measles Initiative is a long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating at-risk children 15 years old and younger. As of December 2005, the Initiative has supported more than 41 African countries, vaccinating some 213 million children and potentially saving more than 1.2 million lives. Drawing on the success of measles campaigns in Africa, the Initiative has expanded its campaigns into Asia.
The measles vaccination campaigns – including the most recent in Benin, Africa, and Bangladesh in Southern Asia – are highly coordinated efforts involving health workers, volunteers and local community members, who educate the populations about the importance of immunization and ensure that vaccinations reach as many children as possible in a short amount of time. These mass vaccination campaigns usually last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and are focused on reaching poor children, who may be missed by existing health care services. Because of the quantity, it costs less than a dollar to vaccinate a child against measles in Africa.
The Measles Initiative uses syringes from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a major partner of the Initiative and a global leader in medical technology.
(Photo credit: Daniel Cima/American Red Cross)
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In addition to providing measles vaccinations, the Initiative offers insecticide-treated bednets that are key to fighting malaria from mosquito bites. Every day, 3,000 African children die of malaria and those who survive may suffer from brain damage or paralysis. The treated bednets are one of the best ways to protect against the disease. Other health interventions, such as Vitamin A and de-worming medicine, are provided during many campaigns as well.
Along with its nonprofit and government partners, the Initiative relies on the generosity of the American public as well as assistance from partners and donors that include medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), ExxonMobil Foundation and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to support these campaigns. Because vaccinations can be had so cheaply in Africa, even modest donations can do so much good – not only for the children immunized but for the communities.
Here are a few fast facts about immunizations:
- Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death.
- Vaccines help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious agents.
- Immunizations are one of the most important ways parents can protect their children against serious diseases.
- Because there are more vaccines now than ever before to prevent diseases, parents may not be aware of what it takes to fully immunize their child.
- Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, and it is critical that they are protected through immunization.
- Children who are not immunized increase the chance that others will get a vaccine-preventable disease.
- Children are far more likely to be harmed by serious infectious diseases than by immunization.
- Immunizations are extremely safe thanks to advancements in medical research and ongoing review.
In the United States, National Infant Immunization Week and Week in the Americas a reminder for every parent or guardian to have their children immunized and keep vaccinations current. It is also a good time to think about and remember children in other parts of the world with limited access to vaccination programs and regular health and medical care. Visit the Measles Initiative Web site to learn more about the program’s life-saving work and how you can be a part of it.
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns worldwide. To date, the Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries helping reduce measles deaths by 74% globally and 89% in Africa (compared to 2000).. To learn more or make a donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
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