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April 19, 2004

In the ongoing effort to eradicate infectious childhood diseases, refrigerator magnets and place mats play almost as big a role as vaccines.

The week of April 25-May 1 marks the 10th annual National Infant Immunization Week sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This yearly observance encourages immunizing infants against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases by the age of two. The diseases are measles, polio, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A and B, diptheria, varicella (chickenpox), pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, invasive pneumococcal disease and neo-natal tetanus.

Over 500 communities across the U.S. will participate in National Infant Immunization Week by planning community awareness and media events to promote infant immunizations to parents, caregivers, providers and their communities. This year the CDC campaign will link up with the Pan American Health Organization and the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission to promote immunization in all 35 countries of the Americas.

Locally, Woodbridge Health Department will offer special immunization appointments as part of the Middlesex County Task Force for Infant Immunization Awareness - a consortium of area health departments, clinics and hospitals.

Besides news releases and advertisements, the consortium will spread word of National Infant Immunization Week by distributing refrigerator magnets bearing immunization sites and schedules. Each child who receives immunizations at a participating site will receive coupons for free ice cream at McDonald's.

In past years, the National Infant Immunization Week message has been printed on a wide array of everyday items such coffee mugs, buttons, balloons, T-shirts, bookmarks, birthday cards and place mats at fast food restaurants frequented by families with young children

"A successful public health campaign has to cast a wide net to reach everyone who needs services," says Mayor Frank G. Pelzman. "We are eager to take an active role in this historic effort to protect our families and communities from preventable diseases."

Public health officials estimate that, in the U.S., approximately one million 2-year-old children are missing one or more recommended vaccine doses. Children not fully immunized will grow into adults who may be exposed unknowingly to these vaccine-preventable diseases and have serious complications.

"We can now protect children from more diseases than ever before," says Patrick Hanson, Director of the Woodbridge Health Department. "Because we can prevent more diseases, parents are often not aware of what it takes to fully immunize a child."

The Woodbridge Health Department's regular outreach efforts include child health conferences for mothers, infants and babies, STD clinics and child immunization clinics. In recognition of April as Public Health Month, the department added several special activities including blood pressure monitoring clinics at five township senior citizen clubs, an immunization clinic for school-age children and a hypertension screening clinic for township employees. The department also mounted information display booths at Town Hall and Woodbridge Main Library promoting public health education and activities

For details about National Infant Immunization Week or to schedule an immunization appointment, call the Woodbridge Health Department Nursing Division at 732-855-0600 ext. 5011.