August is National Immunization Awareness Month
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines help the body learn how to defend itself from disease without the dangers of a full-blown infection. The immune response to a vaccine might cause tiredness and discomfort for a day or two, but the resulting protection can last a lifetime.
Infections are unpredictable and can have long-term consequences. Even mild or symptomless infections can be deadly. For example, most people infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) never show any sign of infection. But for some, the sign appears years later as an aggressive, life-threatening cancer. By then, it’s too late to get vaccinated.
Vaccines work by imitating an infection - the presence of a disease-causing organism in the body - to engage the body’s natural defenses. The active ingredient in all vaccines is an antigen, the name for any substance that causes the immune system to begin producing antibodies.
A single dose of vaccine provides only partial protection. The number of doses needed to achieve immunity depends on whether the antigen in a vaccine is alive or not. Because they contain living bacteria or viruses, live-attenuated vaccines can provide enduring protection with only two doses. By contrast, non-live vaccines typically require at least three doses to achieve protection that fades over time and must be restored with booster doses.
Certain vaccines must be updated periodically to protect against mutation-prone viruses that cause waves of infections months or years apart, such as the seasonal flu vaccine and COVD-19 vaccines.
There is a structured immunization schedule that is routinely followed from birth through seventh grade. After seventh grade the schedule generally includes “highly recommended” rather than required. It is best to know what vaccines are out there, why they are recommended as well as knowing something about the diseases they prevent when making sound decisions regarding a child’s immunizations. Reliable information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) website, as well as a local healthcare provider and public health department.
There are many helpful immunizations and boosters that should be given during the school years to keep children healthy. In addition to Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care-Allamakee Public Health, all immunizations can also be administered at either the Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic or Postville Clinic.
There is still time to get the needed immunizations before school starts. For more information and to make an appointment, call Allamakee Public Health at 563-568-5660, the Waukon Medical Clinic at 563-568-5530 or Postville Medical Clinic at 563-864-7221.
