It is said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It is in that spirit that TriCounty Health Department is holding their Infant Immunization Week to help parents understand the whys and hows to properly immunize infants. This year marks the 25th anniversary for
the Vaccines
for Children program which provides vaccines for low or no costs for situations when insurances don’t cover vaccinations or they cannot be afforded. The VFC program got its start when the CDC investigated a measles outbreak and found that half the children infected had seen their doctors but hadn’t gotten vaccinations. In almost a full circle event, the United States has seen an uptick in measles cases. 19 states have reported cases, including neighboring states Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. According to TriCounty Health Epi-Coordinator Cyndie Mattinson, the The United States is at the “second highest level of measles in 25 years and we aren’t even halfway through the year. As of now we have had 555 reported cases of measles in the US.” Measles are highly contagious. In fact, 90 percent of those not immunized, when exposed to the disease, become infected. Parents be sure to keep your children’s vaccinations up to date.
