Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont: Case for Immunizations

The Case for Immunizations

Is your child up to date on his or her immunizations? If not, take a look at these facts:


		•	Infectious diseases account for about 25 percent of all doctor visits each year and antibiotics used to treat them are the second most frequently prescribed class of drug.
		•	Every year there are approximately 5,000 to 9,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths from chickenpox in the United States.
		•	Over 30 percent of measles cases result in one or more complications, including blindness, deafness, brain and lung damage and stunted growth or development.
		•	New infectious diseases are being detected, and some diseases considered under control have been reappearing in recent years.

"Getting children vaccinations ranks among the top health goals for Vermont," says Dr. Jan Carney, Vermont Commissioner of Health. "Although we have nearly wiped out many of the diseases the immunizations prevent, it's crucial to keep vaccinating to keep these diseases at bay. They still flourish in other parts of the world. It's also important that every child who can be immunized gets immunized. It protects not only them, but also the (very few) children who cannot be successfully vaccinated because they're allergic to vaccines, for example, or because they do not respond to vaccines."

"Unfortunately, some people fail to get their children immunized because of misconceptions about vaccines," Carney notes. "Various media reports have fueled myths about side-effects of immunizations or 'bad lots' of vaccine. But the truth is that negligibly few, if any, serious side-effects or deaths can be attributed to vaccines. The risks occur when a child is not vaccinated," she says.

Carney says the state specifically aims to improve rates of Varicella (chicken pox) immunization. "We now have a safe, effective vaccine that can prevent this condition," she says. "Many parents forego vaccinations because they think that chicken pox is just a rite of childhood, but it can be very serious. There have even been deaths associated with complications of chicken pox," Carney states.

Carney recommends the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website as a good source of information about the myths and realities surrounding immunizations. You can visit it at www.cdc.gov/nip/.

This chart shows a recommended schedule of vaccinations for children. Please check with your child's primary care physician to be sure your child is up-to-date on his or her life-saving immunizations.