(ITHACA, NY, April 25, 2024)—Tompkins County Whole Health is sharing with the community the importance of immunizations during this year’s National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). NIIW runs from April 22, 2024–April 29, 2024, and serves as an annual reminder that following immunization schedules for children ages 2 and younger is essential to protect young children from potentially life-threatening, but preventable, diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produces vaccination schedule recommendations based on a person’s age. Pediatricians and other healthcare providers can answer your questions about these vaccine schedules. The importance of staying on schedule with vaccinations is to ensure lifelong protection from a variety of diseases, including:
- Measles
- Polio
- Chickenpox
- Rubella
- Mumps
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Rotavirus
- Hib
- Pneumococcal Disease
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Whooping Cough
- Flu
- COVID-19
TCWH Director of Community Health Services, Rachel Buckwalter, RN, BSN, stated, “Infants are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Every dose of every vaccine is important to protect your child and others in the community. Talk to your child’s pediatrician or other healthcare professional to make sure your child is up to date on all the vaccines they need.”
Buckwalter continued, “When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of contracting diseases and they can also spread diseases to others in their family and community, including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated. The recent increase in measles cases, mostly among unvaccinated young children, illustrates the importance of staying up to date and staying on schedule with the recommended immunizations.” The CDC reports that in 2024, there have been 125 documented cases of measles to date, of which 46% were in children under the age of 5 and 83% were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccine status.
Tompkins County Whole Health offers immunization clinics every Friday through the New York State funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Clinics are open from 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm by appointment. Your child may be eligible for participation in our Friday clinics if they:
- Do not have insurance, or
- Are currently enrolled in Medicaid, or
- Have Child Health Plus, or
- Are underinsured: their insurance does not cover the vaccine, or
- Are Native American or Alaska Native
Parents can find out more about the recommended immunization schedules at: cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.
Learn more about Whole Health’s Community Health Services online at tompkinscountyny.gov/health/immunizations or call the office directly at 607-274-6604.
Tompkins County Whole Health envisions a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/TompkinsWholeHealth and on Twitter at @TCWholeHealth. Get Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text, sign up here.
Media contact: Shannon Alvord, salvord@tompkins-co.org
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