HARTFORD, CT – National Infant Immunization Week serves as a reminder about the importance of staying on track and ensuring infants are up to date on recommended childhood vaccines. The Connecticut Department of Public Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remind parents that now is the time to make sure that your children are up to date on their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations following disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NIIW highlights the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases. This year it’s critically important to ensure that parents stay on track for their children’s routine checkups and recommended vaccinations following recent reports that show a drop in immunization rates because of families staying home during the pandemic. On-time vaccination is critical to providing protection against potentially life-threatening diseases.
Children routinely receive vaccines that protect them against 14 diseases in the first two years of life and staying on track and receiving all their vaccinations in a timely fashion helps protect them and their communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. Vaccines remain the best tool we have in keeping children safe from serious vaccine-preventable diseases like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles.
National Infant Immunization Week is April 24-30 and events will be taking place statewide to encourage parents to stay up to date on their child’s vaccinations.
Check here for a list of events being held throughout Connecticut.