Vaccinate Alaska Coalition

Spread the Word!

Promote immunization awareness:

August is National Immunization Awareness Month: Are You Up-to-Date? Vaccinate!

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For more information, please contact:

Doreen Stangel
Education & Training Manager
Alaska Immunization Program
3601 "C" Street Suite 540
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
(907) 269-8013 phone

Alaska Immunization Helpline:
(888) 430-4321
(907) 562-7802 fax

 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)

August is the perfect time to catch up on vaccinations. Parents are enrolling their children in child care & school, college students are heading to campuses near & far, and influenza season is nearly here. Adults, adolescents and pre-teens, and children and infants need to be up-to-date with all recommended immunizations. The goal of NIAM is to increase awareness about immunizations across the life span, from infancy through the senior years.

Why are immunizations important?

Immunization is one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated wild poliovirus in the U.S. and significantly reduced the number of cases of measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other diseases. But despite these efforts, today tens of thousands of people in the U.S. still die from these and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccines offer safe and effective protection from infectious diseases. By staying up-to-date on the recommended vaccines, individuals can protect themselves, their families and friends and their communities from serious, life-threatening infections.

Who should be immunized?

Getting immunized is a lifelong, life-protecting individual & community effort. Recommended vaccinations begin at birth and continue throughout life. Being aware of the vaccines that are recommended for infants, children, adolescents, adults of all ages and seniors, is critical to protecting individuals and communities.

When are immunizations given?

Because children are particularly vulnerable to infection, most vaccines are given during the first five to six years of life. Other immunizations are recommended during adolescent or adult years and, for certain vaccines, booster immunizations are recommended throughout life. Vaccines against certain diseases that may be encountered when traveling outside of the U.S. are recommended for travelers to specific regions of the world. Visit the CDC's Vaccination Clinic Finder for a list of Alaska clinicians that may provide travel vaccinations.

Where can I find more information about immunizations?