By Jordan Savold, CCIC Communications and Research Fellow
To kick off the 8th annual S.O.U.P! (Shots Offer Unrivaled Protection) fundraiser for the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC), Amy Purdy posed an intriguing question:
“If your life was a book and you were the author, how would you want your story to go?”
By Jordan Savold, Communications and Research Fellow at the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition
If you happen to drive by Fire Station #2 in Aurora on a certain Saturday of the month, you might see a long line of families extending from the entry way. Once a month, immunizations are provided at little to no cost at this fire station through Shots for Tots and Teens program to help ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live a safe, healthy life free from vaccine-preventable disease.
On a recent Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the event myself. Here’s what happened.
[Read more…]
The latest National Immunization Survey-Teen report was released on July 31, and we asked Lynn Trefren, RN, MSN, Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help explain the data and what this means for Colorado teens and their parents.
By Chloe Mugg, communications intern for Healthier Colorado
This post originally appeared on Healthier Colorado’s blog June 5, 2015.
When people think about vaccinations, they picture kids in a doctor’s office getting routine chickenpox, measles or tetanus shots. The kids kick and scream, but they get a Hello Kitty Band-Aid stamped over their child’s arm upon conclusion. But this isn’t the whole picture. College students like me, who are susceptible to meningitis B, need vaccines too.
By Lisa and Jon Krizman
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Eight years ago we lost our daughter Sierra to meningococcal meningitis, a vaccine-preventable disease.
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Just over 30 years ago, at 15 months of age, I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis as a result of Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) infection. The vaccine that protects against Hib had not yet been introduced. At that time, Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children under five years of age in the U.S. Each year, about 20,000 children under five years got severe Hib disease, and about 1,000 died. As many as 1 out of 5 children survivors of Hib meningitis end up with brain damage or become deaf.
Since vaccine introduction in the late 1980s, the number of cases of invasive Hib disease has decreased by more than 99 percent. By 2012, less than 50 U.S. cases of Hib disease occurred each year in children under five, and most cases we see today are the result of parents choosing not to vaccinate. While some parents may believe their child is not at risk of rare Hib infection, the bacteria still exists and can cause severe harm through the diseases it causes.
In honor of World Meningitis Day (April 24) and National Infant Immunization Week (April 18-25), I sat down with my beautiful mother to remember the “traumatic experience” she faced as her child overcame this life-threatening illness. [Read more…]
In honor of National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 18-25, 2015, our friend and guest teammate shares why vaccines are important for protecting her infant and keeping her family of five healthy.
My husband keeps asking me, “When does BabyGirl get her shots?”
“At six months,” I remind him.
“Measles?” he’ll ask again.
“Not until she’s at least a year old.”
“So we’re waiting on pins and needles for six more months?” he’ll ask. [Read more…]
Goodbye, March. Hello, April! With cold weather behind us and the active flu season slowing down, April brings a renewed, hopeful focus on health. In fact, April boasts FOUR immunization-related observances. [Read more…]
By Dan Stoll
Most parents know that immunizations are a great way to protect their children from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, and many others. But did you know that immunizing your kids also contributes to your community? [Read more…]
By Edwin J. Asturias, MD
This editorial appeared in The Denver Post Feb. 5.
Though dormant for years, measles reemerged this year with a vengeance. The first cases erupted in Disneyland before spreading outward, involving 14 states and counting. Now there are 102 confirmed cases, making it the largest measles outbreak since 1990.
This growing epidemic is fueling fierce debate over how to balance public health risks against the rights of increasing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. [Read more…]