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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Desiree Ramos
(201)222-2828 *14
Matthew Miller
202-226-3210
Menendez Hosts Children's Immunization Day
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
August 30, 2005
 Union City, Jersey City, Newark, Elizabeth, AND Perth Amboy, NJ - Just in time for back-to-school, Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) today hosted his biennial Menendez Children's Immunization Day at locations in Union City, Jersey City, Newark, Elizabeth and Perth Amboy. Menendez Children's
Immunization Day took place from 10:00 a.m. until
3:00 p.m., and was made possible through the generosity
of the North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC),
the Jersey City Family Health Center, the Newark Community
Health Center, Trinitas Hospital and the Jewish Renaissance
Medical Center. At each site, community groups
were also available to provide information on health
related services and programs, such as KidsCare and Rx4NJ.
“August is National Immunization Awareness
Month, and as we prepare our kids for the new school year,
we, as parents, and the community, as a whole, have a responsibility
to protect our children against life-threatening, but preventable,
childhood diseases,” said Menendez. “Each
year, as school begins, parents find out that their children
have not been fully immunized, when, in fact, they should
have received the majority of their shots years earlier. Providing
back-to-school immunizations not only ensures that school-aged
children get their required shots, but makes parents aware
of the importance of immunizing younger brothers and sisters,
as well.”
The National Partnership for Immunization (NPI) of the Center
for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) has designated
August as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)
to remind parents, adults, caregivers, health care providers
and others that immunizations improve the health and quality
of life for persons of all ages in the United States. Immunization
was one of the most significant public health achievements
of the 20th century. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated
the poliovirus in the US, and significantly reduced the number
of cases of measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other
diseases by 99%. But despite these efforts, thousands of
people in the US still die from these and other vaccine-preventable
diseases. Vaccines offer safe and effective protection from
infectious diseases. By staying up-to-date on the recommended
vaccines, individuals can protect themselves, their families
and friends, and their communities from serious, life-threatening
infections.
According to the CDC, national
coverage levels in children now are greater than 90 percent
for each immunization recommended during the first 2 years
of life, except for hepatitis B and varicella vaccines. However,
disparities in immunization rates exist in urban areas across
the country. For example, the immunization rates in
Newark and other major cities lag far behind the national
average. Last year, 72 percent of children in Newark
received all of their immunizations, which is a 7 percent
increase from the year before[1] [1]. In
New Jersey, 83 percent of children received them, which exceeded
the Center for Disease Control’s targeted 80 percent
goal.
“Even with
improving rates, it is important to note that the importance
of vaccines is not a thing of the past. If
we look at the recent rise in Pertussis (whooping cough)
we see that most of these new cases are found in teenagers
and adults who then spread the disease to infants. There
were more than 18,000 cases of whooping cough last year,
which represented a 40-year high [2] [2]. In
New Jersey, alone, there were over 200 probable
cases of whooping cough [3] [3]. Without
awareness and action, these numbers will not get better,
but worse,” added Menendez.
“This is why Immunization Day is a day of
both action and awareness for our communities. For
each child we vaccinate today, many other families will
be reminded of the importance of immunizations. Through
sponsoring this day and working together with community
organizations, our local health providers, and local elected
officials, we can spread the word regarding the importance
of immunizations and ensure that all of our children receive
a healthy start,” concluded Menendez.
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