National Infant immunization week under way
By Sarah Plummer
The REGISTER-HERALD
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Because West Virginia has one of the lowest rates of infant immunization in the United States, area health departments, school-based clinics and the state Department of Health and Human Resources hope to increase the number of infants and preschoolers who are current on vaccinations.
National Infant Immunization Week, April 16-23, is meant to celebrate the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths over the lifespan of children born during 1994-2013.
“Vaccinating is the single most important thing as parents that we can do to protect our children and the people around our children,” said Candy Hurd, director of nursing for the Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department.