Everything You Need to Know During Immunization Awareness Month

Immunizations and vaccinations are something that most people have received in their lifetime, but do you know why they’re so important?

Understanding what diseases vaccinations can protect you and those around your from makes getting them seem like a no-brainer.

Why are vaccinations so important?

Vaccinations help your body build up an immunity to a disease, making it nearly impossible for you to catch it. Being unable to catch a disease lessens your chances of spreading that disease, and eventually eradicating the disease all together. There are many diseases that once killed hundreds of thousands of people each year that are now almost unheard of, and that’s all thanks to vaccinations!

What diseases do vaccinations prevent?

Most vaccinations are received during childhood years, so you might not know what your vaccinations have been protecting you from all these years. Let’s take a closer look at what some of these diseases are.

 

• Diphtheria – The vaccination babies receive to protect against this disease also protects them from whooping cough and tetanus. Diphtheria can lead to serious conditions including heart failure and paralysis. Thankfully, this disease has been nearly completely wiped out thanks to vaccines.

• Mumps – This highly contagious disease causes swelling of the salivary glands and it has no known cure. The best method of protection is prevention, which starts by getting your mumps vaccine.

• Measles – Measles is uncommon in the United States, but many other countries still have it. This means that travelers to the US may be contaminating local citizens with the disease. If you aren’t vaccinated, catching this disease is easy and results in miserable consequences.

• Rubella – Pregnant women are the most susceptible to catching this disease, which can result in miscarriage or the death of the baby. Babies who survive birth of a mother infected with Rubella can suffer from serious birth defects. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, but it protects mothers and babies everywhere!

• Hepatitis A & B – Hepatitis A and B are both very serious diseases that can lead to death or other serious medical problems if you have not been vaccinated. Hepatitis B is spread through bodily fluids which means it can be spread from mother to baby at the time of birth if the mother has not been vaccinated.

• Polio – Polio has been eliminated in the US thanks to vaccinations, but the same can’t be said for other countries. Polio causes paralysis and often time results in death. Maintaining the current status of elimination in the US is dependent on people getting vaccinated and making sure their children are vaccinated.

• Influenza – Influenza is better known as the flu and it affects many people every year. The flu results in high fevers, hospitalization, and more. Everyone 6 months of age or older should receive a flu vaccine each year to protect themselves and those around them!

AFC Urgent Care Stamford provides a range of immunzations to protect you against a number of life-threatening diseases that can easily be prevented by getting vaccinated.  We also participate in the Connecticut State Vaccine program which offers many types of vaccinations’ free to patients under the age of 19 years old. In addition we provide most of the required vaccinations for back to school and more on a walk-in basis, so you never need an appointment to be seen.  Visit us today – no appointment necessary.