National Immunization Awareness Week is April 23-30, 2016. The theme for National Immunization Awareness Week (NIAW) is “Go for the Gold”, encouraging all to be a champion for immunization.
Immunizations protect against disease by introducing vaccines into the body and are especially important for young children. By getting vaccines at the recommended time, children and their families and friends can be protected from many diseases over their lifetime. Immunization has saved more lives in the past 50 years than any other health measure.
Vaccines cause the immune system to produce antibodies and form memory cells which prevent re-infection. Vaccination is a lifelong process; breastfeeding is the first form of immunization. For immunization to be the most effective, children should have all immunizations done at the recommended time, starting at two months of age.
“Vaccines used in Canada are very safe, they are developed with the highest standards and continuously monitored and tested before being approved for use,” said Dr. Ashok Chhetri, Medical Health Officer. “Mild side effects such as redness at the injection site or fever may occur and last a short amount of time - serious adverse reactions to vaccines are very rare.”
Vaccines recommended for children include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), inactivated polio virus, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), rotavirus, Hepatitis B, pneumococcal and meningococcal.
Saskatchewan offers free routine childhood and adult immunization, plus free immunization programs for people identified to be at high risk. Immunization programs for children are delivered by Public Health Nurses; programs for school-aged children are offered in school settings via Public Health. To schedule immunizations, please contact your local Public Health office.
