WVAHC URGES WEST VIRGINIANS TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH ROUTINE VACCINATIONS

Vaccines are important for people of all ages and how they can help prevent serious, sometimes deadly, diseases and illnesses.

(CHARLESTON, WV) – August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). NIAM raises the awareness about why vaccines are important for people of all ages and how they can help prevent serious, sometimes deadly, diseases and illnesses. NIAM is now more important than ever with the emergence of diseases such as COVID-19.

“If there’s one thing West Virginia gets right, it’s the Mountain State’s vaccination and immunization laws,” said Ellen Allen, Executive Director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care. “West Virginia leads the nation among the best and safest from vaccine-preventable illness and disease, thanks to our current vaccination and immunization laws.”

Immunizations play an important role in keeping your family and your community healthy. Vaccinations are important because they not only protect the person who is receiving the vaccine, but they also help to keep diseases from spreading to others such as your family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and other members of the community. Immunization helps protect those who are the most vulnerable to illness, such as infants, elders, and those with weakened immune systems.

“Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death,” said Allen. “Widespread immunization has led to the eradication of smallpox worldwide, the elimination of polio in the United States, and the prevention of debilitating and sometimes deadly infectious diseases like measles.”

Despite this extraordinary success, global vaccine administration has plateaued within the last decade, partly because of the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Vaccines approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug

“A strong public health policy has allowed West Virginia to remain a leader in the nation regarding school-age vaccination rates,” said Allen. “Having those high immunization rates have allowed us to better protect our communities.”

West Virginians for Affordable Health Care encourages you to talk to your doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional to ensure that you and your family are protected against serious diseases by getting caught up on routine vaccinations.

Although no vaccine is 100% effective, it is the first step in protecting yourself, your family, and others from serious illness.