|
NIAM
August
2004
National
Immunization Awareness Month
|
|
|
At
a glance:
The
August observation of National
Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)
is a great way to rally local organizations
in your immunization education
efforts. A free NIAM promotional
kit offers a variety of template
materials, such as brochures and
news releases, that communities
can easily customize and use at
or in conjunction with local health
screenings or fairs, media events
and other related immunization
outreach efforts. Visit (www.partnersforimmunization.org/niam.html)
to order your free promotional
kit and to view and download related
materials, including flyers, stickers
and bookmarks.
|
|
August is recognized as National Immunization
Awareness Month (NIAM). The goal of NIAM
is to increase awareness about immunizations
across the lifespan, from infants to
the elderly.
This
year’s campaign is focused around
the theme, “Are You Up to Date?
Vaccinate!,” to remind people of
all ages of the importance of immunization.
August is the perfect time to remind
family, friends, co-workers, and those
in the community to catch up on their
vaccinations. Parents are enrolling their
children in school, students are entering
college, and health care workers are
preparing for the upcoming flu season.
Why
are immunizations important?
Immunization was 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
community effort regardless of age, sex,
race, ethnic background or country of
origin. Recommended vaccinations begin
soon after birth and continue throughout
life. Being aware of the vaccines that
are recommended for infants, children,
adolescents, adults of all ages and seniors,
and making sure that we receive these
immunizations, are critical to protecting
ourselves and our communities from disease.
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 immunization
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.
A
variety of resources promoting immunization
and NIAM, including brochures, stickers,
posters and information about various
community initiatives, are available
by visiting the National Partnership
for Immunization web site at www.partnersforimmunization.org.
Contact
information:
To request your complimentary
copy of the NIAM Promotional Kit, contact
NPI at (703) 836-6110 or by e-mail at
npi@hmhb.org.
For bulk orders, please complete and
mail the following bulk
order form.
Top
.pdf
Files - To
view and print the .pdf files on this
site, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Use this link to obtain a free copy of
the Adobe
Acrobat Reader. We highly recommend
that you upgrade to version 5.0 if haven't
already.
*Note:
Text-only formats are supplied for editing
purposes (modifying to fit the needs
of your group) and for screen-reader
devices.
|
