Did you know there are new vaccination requirements that affect children between up to the age of 17? As you are getting your children ready for a new school year, make sure they are fully prepared and vaccinated before returning. You may ask, “Why are vaccinations important?”

I don’t know if many of you recall the measles outbreak that occurred earlier this year that was linked to Disneyland.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, this outbreak affected 147 people in the U.S., including 131 in California, and many infected were not immunized against measles. Today, many parents have never seen first-hand the devastating consequences that vaccine-preventable diseases can have on a child, a family, or the community.

Childhood vaccines protect against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases such as measles, in addition to polio, whooping cough, and chickenpox. When children are not vaccinated, they are at a higher risk and can spread diseases to others in their family and community – including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.

Every dose of every vaccine is important to protect your child and others in the community from life-threatening diseases. Here at HCPHS, we provide immunizations to infants, children, adolescents, and adults based on the current immunization schedule as approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

It is important that we continue to prepare our children by vaccinating because outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases can happen in Halifax County.

Make sure your children are up to date with North Carolina's new vaccination requirements … Because Public Health Matters.

For more information about how public health is working for you, contact the HCPHS at 252-583-5021. Also, you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter