August is immunization Awareness Month nationally and right here in Kane County, and the Kane County Health Department is using the event to remind residents that vaccination is one of the best ways parents can protect infants, children and teens from 16 potentially harmful diseases.

Vaccines are among the most cost-effective clinical preventive services and are a core component of any preventive services package.

Unfortunately, we know from our Community Health Assessment that only about half of 2-year-olds in Kane County received the recommended vaccinations. Outbreaks of communicable disease, such as the California measles outbreak in 2014, lead to increased absenteeism in workplaces and schools and increased healthcare costs. A robust healthcare system in Kane County working to prevent, identify early, and treat communicable diseases is critical to reducing the burden of communicable disease.

The benefits of vaccination are two-fold: In addition to providing individual immunity, high vaccination levels can provide protection against disease to those in a community who would otherwise be vulnerable.

While immunizations have significantly reduced the incidence of many serious infectious diseases, vaccination rates for some diseases are not meeting national public health goals. And the Health Department reminds residents that immunizations aren’t just for children. They are needed throughout our lifetime.

During the month of August, the Health Department will be using social media to promote the practice of getting vaccinated, throughout one’s lifetime.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a wealth of information about National Immunization Awareness Month on its website, and additional information about immunizations can be found on the Kane County Health Department website.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department press release