5 Reasons to Keep Up with Immunizations

You want to do what’s best for your family to keep them safe. You know about the importance of car seats for your children. And, you make sure everyone has their sunscreen before going out in the Texas sun. But, what about the shots that are so important to your family’s ongoing good health?

Vaccinations are one of the best ways to protect your loved ones from getting sick. Here are some reasons why it’s important to keep your family’s shots on track.

1. Vaccines are safe, and they work. When shots are given on time throughout childhood, they help provide protection before your child is exposed to serious diseases. Vaccines are tested to ensure they are safe and effective for children (and adults) to receive at the recommended ages. See when to get shots done.
2. Immunization protects others you care about. People in the United States still get diseases that can be prevented with vaccines. Measles and whooping cough (pertussis) are some examples. There are still between 10,000 and 50,000 cases of whooping cough each year in the U.S., and about 10 to 20 babies die from it each year.While some babies are too young to get a vaccine, others may not be able to receive certain shots due to severe allergies or other reasons. To help keep them safe, it is important that you and your children who are able to get vaccinated do so. This not only protects your family, but also helps prevent your friends and loved ones from becoming ill.
3. Vaccines save your family time and money. Some diseases that are preventable result in long-term health problems. This can lead to time away from work for you or school for your child, and added medical bills. Getting vaccinated at the right time against these diseases saves you money, and most vaccinations are covered by insurance.
4. Many schools and day cares require shot records. Because proof of immunization is often required for enrollment in school or day care, it’s important to keep your children up to date on their vaccines. They will be protected from diseases that spread easily among children in group settings and that could cause them serious health problems. The new school season will be here soon, so now is the perfect time to schedule a time to vaccinate your students.
5. Our future health depends on today’s vaccines. Safe and effective vaccines have greatly reduced or gotten rid of many diseases that once killed or injured people. For example, polio used to be a scary disease. Now, there are no known cases of polio in our country. The smallpox vaccination wiped out that disease across the world as well. Your children don’t have to get smallpox shots any more because the disease no longer exists.It may not always seem like an important to-do, but staying on track with immunizations can protect your child when he or she is older. If you continue with recommended vaccinations, and do it fully, you may be able to trust that some diseases of today will no longer be around to harm your children down the road.

It’s Easy to Get on Track, and Stay on Track

When it comes to important shots for your family, it’s best to follow the immunization schedule your health care provider at Community Healthcare Center gives you. But if you get a little behind, a Community Healthcare Center provider will be happy to provide catch-up doses for you or your loved one as needed.

Our focus at Community Healthcare Center is to keep you and your family well, regardless of your financial or insurance status. You and your family members will not be denied important immunizations because you do not have medical insurance. If you do not have insurance, learn about our sliding fee scale based on family size and income by contacting us at (940)766-6306.