FAILURE TO VACCINATE PUTS CHILDREN AT RISK FOR PREVENTABLE DISEASES

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – Childhood immunization
rates, including those for infants, in Galveston
County are in line with those reported statewide, but
education on immunization importance and safety
continues to be a priority for the Galveston County
Health District (GCHD). GCHD is participating in National
Infant Immunization Week April 21-28 to help
raise awareness about the benefits of immunizations
to improve the health of children 2 years old and
younger.
“These diseases still exist,” said Eileen Dawley,
GCHD chief nursing officer. “It’s easy to think these
diseases are not a threat because we don’t deal
with them on a daily basis, but each year across the
country, thousands of children get seriously sick and
some pass away from illnesses they didn’t have to
get.” GCHD’s Immunization Services division works
to protect the health and well-being of the community
by providing children, and adults, protection against
vaccine-preventable diseases.
In Galveston County, the most common reported
childhood vaccine-preventable illness since 2013
is varicella, better known as chickenpox. Pertussis,
also known as whooping cough, is the second most
common during the same period. There has been
one varicella case reported to GCHD through March
this year. In 2017, a total 22 cases were reported.
Four cases of Pertussis have been reported through
March 2018 with a total of five reported in 2017. Vaccinating
children on time is the best way to protect
them against 14 serious and potentially deadly diseases
before their second birthday.
Since 2010, there have been between 10,000 and
50,000 cases of whooping cough each year in the
United States, according to the CDC. The CDC reports
up to 20 babies die from whooping cough each
year in the United States, with most of those deaths
among babies who are too young to be protected
by their own vaccination. “Unfortunately some parents
make the decision not to immunize based on
debunked information about complications such as
autism,” Dawley continued. “Science has repeatedly
discounted a link between vaccines and autism.”
GCHD recommends parents speak with their medical
provider about the vaccines appropriate for their
children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) recommended immunization schedule
is designed to protect babies early in life, when they
are vulnerable and before it’s likely that they will be
exposed to diseases, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier,
director of the National Center for Immunization and
Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), CDC.
Parents are encouraged to register their child in
ImmTrac, the Texas Department of State Health Services
(DSHS) program that stores children’s confidential
immunization information for medical provider
access. To learn more about ImmTrac, please visit
www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/immtrac. The GCHD
Immunization Clinic, located at 9850-B Emmett F.
Lowry Expressway in Texas City, offers many immunizations
for children and adults. The clinic will also
offer educations resources during National Infant Immunization
Week. For more information about the
clinic, please call (409) 938-2244 or visit www.gchd.
org/immunizations.