National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW)

April 21 – 28, 2007

As parents, we want the best for our children.  We want to make sure they are dressed warmly if it’s cold.  We wash their hands to protect them from bacteria because we want them to be healthy and safe.  However, one of the most important ways we can protect our children from illnesses is to have them vaccinated on time every time.  Diseases such as measles, mumps and whooping cough are still a threat to our children; the good news is that they can be prevented through vaccination.  

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance established 13 years ago by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remind parents, health professionals, and the public that children deserve a healthy start to life by immunizing them against vaccine preventable diseases.  The theme for this year’s campaign is Love them. Protect them.  Immunize them. 

Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services (HCPHES) joins forces with communities across the country to highlight the positive impact of immunization on the lives of infants and children.  Immunizations protect families and communities.  Children who are not immunized increase the chance that others will get the disease. 

Parents are encouraged to have their children immunized to protect them because:

ú         Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases.

ú         Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing diseases and death.

NIIW is the perfect time to make sure your child is up to date with his/her vaccinations.  Love them.  Protect them.  Immunize them.  Vaccinations: an act of love!

For more information on immunizations, contact your healthcare provider or call HCPHES at (713) 439-6000 for the HCPHES clinic nearest you.  For further information on National Infant Immunization Week, please visit: www.hcphes.org.