Illinois' Southern Seven Health Department urges parents to catch up on children's immunizations

National Infant Immunization Week, April 24-30, highlights the importance of protecting infants and young children from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Southern 7 Health Department  in southern Illinois emphasizes a focus this year to ensure families stay on-track for their children’s routinely-recommended vaccinations.

COVID-19 caused numerous disruptions in families’ lives. In some cases, those disruptions meant children missed or delayed their vaccinations, a cricoa; aspect of ensuring children's health. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children stay on track with routine vaccinations to help prevent the spread of potentially dangerous diseases.

Vaccines have proven to be safe and effective for children in protecting them from as many as 14 serious childhood diseases, including whooping cough, polio, and measles.

Vaccines offer the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Among children born from 1994-2018, vaccination will prevent an estimated 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 deaths throughout their lifetimes.

Southern 7 Health Department provides the recommended vaccinations for all ages. To determine whether your child is current in his or her routine vaccinations, or to schedule an appointment at a public health clinic near you, visit southern7.org, download the Southern 7 app, or phone phone 618-634-22 97,