Immunization Awareness

It’s back-to-school time, and many schools are reaching out to make sure they have each student’s immunization records on file. The Louisiana Department of Health requires that all students have their vaccines, and the schools must submit a report showing what percentages of the student body has received the proper vaccines. Although parents can write to the school and exempt their child from immunizations, vaccines are essential for children and young adults.

Scientists have found vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases and have prevented 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year by administering these vaccines. Additionally, vaccines are imperative to preventing and controlling an outbreak of an infectious disease. The administration of vaccines reduces your child’s risk of infection by exposing the body to the disease in a controlled setting and working with the body’s natural defenses to develop protection.

Every vaccine used in the medical field today only contains the ingredients necessary for the vaccine to be safe and effective. Vaccines may include adjuvants, stabilizers, and formaldehyde to boost the body’s response, help keep the vaccine effective after it’s manufactured, and prevent contamination by bacteria during the manufacturing process. All three of these ingredients already naturally occur in the human body, or they are found in common foods and preservatives.

Proactive instead of reactive measures are always best. Working to prevent a life-threatening disease will always be better than treating the disease after your child is infected. For more information on vaccines and which immunizations are required for school, contact Neighbors Pharmacy.

Sources: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/vaccine-decision.html