Seek, follow recommendations on vaccinations

Medicine has made great strides over the past decades, with polio virtually eliminated in the United States and "normal" childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and chicken pox increasing reduced to oddities.

Unfortunately, misinformation and other factors have caused parents to delay vaccinations or refuse them altogether, resulting in resurgence in preventable diseases. Measles, for example, have turned up in parts of California, and Ohio children are contracting mumps.

As vaccination rates drop, children are losing the "herd immunity" that protects individuals as well as large populations.

As a result, susceptible individuals are vulnerable to all sorts of preventible infections -- one case of pertussis or whooping cough can quickly turn into 10 or 15 in an unimmunized group.

To turn back the tide, the Red Willow County Health Department and other public health departments across the country are observing National Infant Immunization Week, April 26-May 3 to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities.

Check with your health care provider and follow his or her recommendations.