Bangkok Med Unit

It is almost time to roll up those sleeves! FDA has approved the Bivalent COVID vaccines.
These updated COVID-19 boosters are designed for better protection against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant. They can help boost protection that has diminished since previous vaccination and can help provide better protection against newer variants.
The Bangkok Health Unit will be receiving a vaccine shipment in approximately 3 to 4 weeks, so watch for another announcement once we determine dates the vaccine can be given.
Who is eligible?
All individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Bivalent, if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
An important note: The previous monovalent vaccines are NO LONGER authorized for boosters.

Clean Up Your Sleep Hygiene

According to the American Sleep
Association "Sleep hygiene is
defined as behaviors that one can do
to help promote good sleep using
behavioral interventions".
Click the image to view five simple
steps to improve your sleep hygiene!

https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/5974/exercise-myths-vs-realities/

Exercise Myths vs. Realities “You need a sports drink after you work out to help your body recover.” Sound familiar? The world of exercise is cluttered with myths and misperceptions. Many of these myths persist because of the way fitness is portrayed in the media; other myths withstand the test of time because there’s a l...

Start an
Exercise
Routine, Today!
According to the Department of
Health and Human Services, adults
should get at least 150 minutes of
moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes
of vigorous aerobic activity or a combination of the two each week.
Check out the following tips on how to start working out and actually stick to it:
• Find a workout you will enjoy and look forward to doing. “Begin by really thinking about the things
you enjoy — nature, group settings, playing sports, quiet time, or being challenged. Then look for
activities that meet one or more of your criteria,” says Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach, executive board
member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and an associate professor at West
Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences in Morgantown.
• Pick workouts you’re good at: Dr. Brandonn Harris, an associate professor and the program
director of Sport and Exercise Psychology at Georgia Southern University School of Health
and Kinesiology in Savannah and Statesboro, reveals that we are more motivated to do things we
are good at. So, if you’re not good at running or you hate it, don’t run! Seek out exercises that you
are confident in doing and that are enjoyable!
• Make time to work out and stick to it: block out your exercise time like you would any other
appointment and follow through. Also, start with only a few days a week (one or twice), then
gradually work your way up to the desired amount.

COVID.gov/tests - Free at-home COVID-19 tests Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a 3rd round of free at-home tests. Order yours today.

Did you know that the Bangkok Health Unit will provide travel counseling and prescribe malaria prophylaxis if needed? Contact the Health Unit at 02-205-5508 or email [email protected].

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The first symptoms usually appear 10 days to 4 weeks after an infected mosquito bites. Initial symptoms include fever, headache and chills. Symptoms may be mild to severe. Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease and prevents death.

Personal prevention strategies when traveling to a region where malaria is present include:
• When outside from dusk to dawn use mosquito repellent with DEET
• Cover as much skin as possible with clothing
• Sleep under insecticide-treated bed netting at night in areas of high transmission
• Take prophylactic antimalarial medications as prescribed

Vector control is also a vital component of malaria control as it is highly effective in preventing infection and reducing disease transmission.

The good news is Thailand is one of 8 new countries which have been recently identified by the World Health Organization as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025. In 1949, malaria was the leading cause of mortality in Thailand, resulting in over 38,000 deaths a year. Despite resurgences of multidrug-resistant malaria over the decades, Thailand only recorded 13 deaths in 2019. Its success in bringing down cases of indigenous malaria – that is, the transmission of malaria within its own territory – has been notable, so much so that the country recently verified 37 provinces as malaria-free. There are two main seasons for Malaria, and they occur with rainy season (May-July and September-December).

The Bangkok Health Unit is now offering a limited amount of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to adults (ages 18 years and older) on select Wednesday afternoons at the Health Unit.

Please email [email protected] to request an appointment.

The Center of Disease Control (CDC) recommends booster doses for the following groups to improve protection against severe COVID-19 disease:

• a COVID-19 booster vaccine for everyone (ages 5 years and older) at least 5 months after the final dose of the primary series (Pfizer is used for children 5 to 17 years of age)

• a second COVID-19 booster vaccine for individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receiving a first booster dose

• a second COVID-19 booster vaccine for moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals over the age of 12 (Pfizer is used for children 12 to 17 years of age)

Twelve “Sure Things” To Improve Your Health

I cannot claim the below list as my own, it was assembled by a very veteran, now retired RMO colleague of mine who at times could be very direct in his manner of speech. Since children may read this list, in item #9 please substitute the appropriate 3 letter word.

Like the insurance manuals, I developed a ‘plain language’ list from a national study of the most frequent causes of preventable death in the United States. The last 2 recommendations are mine.

1. If you smoke, quit.

2. If you are obese, lose weight.

3. If you don’t exercise, start.

4. It is best not to drink alcohol, there is no healthy amount.

5. If you must be in a vehicle, wear your seatbelt, and obey the rules.

6. Wash your hands often.

7. If you have fi****ms keep them locked up.

8. All medications and other drugs and chemicals are poisons. It’s just a matter of dose. Take as little as possible. And then some are illegal too.

9. Mutually exclusive, mutually enjoyable, and mutually responsible ¬¬___ is good. All modifications of the previous sentence increase your health risks.

10. Stay away from loud noises.

11. Make time for sleep, play, and reflection.

12. Take all things in moderation including my advice.

June 13-19
IS NATIONAL MEN’S HEALTH WEEK


Next week is National Men’s Health Week
Men, please take time to make your health a priority, take daily steps to be healthier and stronger!
• Take a bike ride (maybe not in Cairo but you could run, swim, play tennis).
• Toss a ball.
• Eat less salt.
• Try more veggies.
There are many easy things you can do every day to improve your health and stay healthy.
Get Good Sleep: Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.
Toss out the To***co: Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. It improves your health and lowers your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
Move More: Adults need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) every week, and muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) on two or more days a week.

Eat Healthy: Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. They are sources of many vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol. Choose healthy snacks.

Tame Stress: Sometimes stress can be good. However, it can be harmful when it is severe enough to make you feel overwhelmed and out of control. Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Find support. Connect socially. Stay active.

No one is promising that you will live forever or that life will be a rose garden but by following daily steps to be healthier and stronger you can live a more happy, full, and productive life, for yourself and your loved ones.

DIARRHEA AND SUMMER
When your stomach kinda hurts
And you start to get the …irts

It is that time of year again when we start receiving more phone calls and see more patients with Gastroenteritis: inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically resulting from bacterial toxins or viral infections and causing diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and sometimes fever.
We most commonly get gastroenteritis from contaminated food or water, sometimes from our dirty hands. Why is it more common in the summer? Those nasty little bugs really like the hot weather; the bacteria in that cold dish or salad grow a lot better and faster when it is warm outside. That is why we put food in the refrigerator, it inhibits (stops) and slows the growth of bacteria and viruses so we can store our food longer and not get sick. Likewise cooking food kills those disease causing organisms dead with heat.
REDUCING THE RISKS:

So what can you do to avoid Gastroenteritis? First of all just avoid the temptation to eat those yummy cold dishes, especially during the warmer months. There is a universally accepted saying to help avoid the riskiest situations: “peel it, boil it or forget it”. This underlies the principle that cooked, piping hot food is considered to be the safest. A few other general points should be understood:
• When possible it is better to prepare food personally, rather than eating in restaurants. Eating products from street vendors is best avoided unless served piping hot, e.g. straight from the pan.
• Dry foods are safer as organisms require a moist environment in which to grow. The key message is that bacterial contamination of moist foods, left out in a warm climate, will very rapidly produce a large number of organisms, likely to cause gastrointestinal infection if consumed.
• It is also important to maintain good personal hygiene: frequent hand washing, clean hands and fingernails when eating or preparing food is essential.

When should you see the doctor? Certainly if you have any severe symptoms including: fever, blood in your p**p, bad pain or milder symptoms lasting more than 7 days. Otherwise, rest, avoid large meals, stay well hydrated and you will be better in 2-3 days.

Are you up to date on your vaccines? Do you need to schedule a well child check for your children whom are 18 and younger? Are you in need of a medication refill? Come see us at the Health Unit. Please send your request for an appointment to [email protected]

May 31st is WORLD NO TO***CO DAY 2022

World No To***co Day is recognized yearly every May 31 by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO to***co kills nearly 6 million people world-wide each year. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are 480,000 deaths per year due to cigarette smoking and an estimated 41,000 deaths resulting from second hand smoke in the United States.

Smoking and inhaling second hand smoke is directly attributed to many types of cancers as well as cardiovascular disease (strokes and heart attacks).

What can we do about cigarette smoking; some suggest more prevention and control programs. The US CDC says that:

To***co use costs the United States billions of dollars each year, including:
• More than $289 billion a year, including at least $133 billion in direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity
• $5.6 billion a year (2006 data) in lost productivity from exposure to secondhand smoke

State spending on to***co prevention and control does not meet CDC-recommended levels.
• Collectively, states have billions of dollars available to them—from to***co excise taxes and to***co industry legal settlements—for preventing and controlling to***co use. States currently use a very small percentage of these funds for to***co control programs.
• In fiscal year 2014, states will collect $25.7 billion from to***co taxes and legal settlements, but states will spend only 1.9% of the $25.7 billion on prevention and cessation programs.
• No states currently fund to***co control programs at CDC's "recommended" level. Only two states (Alaska and North Dakota) fund to***co control programs at the "minimum" level.
• Investing less than 15% (i.e., $3.3 billion) of the $25.7 billion would fund every state to***co control program at CDC-recommended levels.

Definitely cigarette smoking has been good to us physicians, it has given us lots of business but it is the type of business I would prefer not to have. If you smoke please consider quitting and if you are exposed to second hand smoke from someone you know please ask them to quit or at lease smoke outside. If you need help quitting smoking let us know.

Choose the Right Sunscreen

When the days are longer, the sun is stronger, and it’s easier to spend more time outdoors. When choosing sunscreen, be sure to read the label before you buy. Food and Drug Administration regulations require the labels to follow certain guidelines. Our guide can help you understand the terms.

Choose a sunscreen with “broad spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. All sunscreen products protect against UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburn and skin cancers. But UVA rays also contribute to skin cancer and premature aging. Only products that pass a certain test can be labeled “broad spectrum.” Products that aren’t broad spectrum must carry a warning that they only protect against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or higher. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against UVB rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. SPF 15 sunscreens filter out about 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%, SPF 50 sunscreens about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%. No sunscreen protects you completely. The FDA requires any sunscreen with SPF below 15 to carry a warning that it only protects against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
“Water resistant” does not mean “waterproof.” No sunscreens are waterproof or “sweatproof,” and manufacturers are not allowed to claim that they are. If a product’s front label makes claims of being water resistant, it must specify whether it lasts for 40 minutes or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating. For best results, reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and even more often if you are swimming or sweating. Sunscreen usually rubs off when you towel yourself dry, so you will need to put more on.
Other ways to stay sun-safe
In addition to choosing the right sunscreen and using it correctly, follow these steps to help protect your skin from sun damage that can cause premature aging and skin cancer:

Cover up. When you are out in the sun, wear clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to protect as much skin as possible. Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of UV light.
Seek shade. Limit your direct exposure to the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.
Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.

Today we said farewell to Ms. Carole. Carole has been with the Health Unit for the past 2 years and will be greatly missed. She is looking forward to experiencing all four seasons again. We wish her the best down under!

Join us Thursday!

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
Getting a dilated eye exam is simple and painless — and it’s the single best thing you can do for your eye health!

A dilated eye exam is the only way to check for many eye diseases early on, when they’re easier to treat.

Find out if you’re at risk for eye diseases
Getting older increases your risk of some eye diseases. You might also have a higher risk of some eye diseases if you:
Are overweight or obese
Have a family history of eye disease
Are African American, Hispanic, or Native American
Other health conditions, like diabetes or high blood pressure, can also increase your risk of some eye diseases.

Take care of your health
Protecting your overall health can go a long way toward keeping your eyes healthy! It’s important to make healthy choices and take good care of yourself.

Keep in mind that healthy habits like eating well and being active can lower your risk for diseases and conditions that can lead to eye or vision problems, like diabetes or high blood pressure.
Eat healthy foods.
Get active.
Get active.

Protect your eyes
Wear sunglasses.
Wear protective eyewear.
Give your eyes a rest.
If you wear contacts, take steps to prevent eye infections.

MAY IS NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS MONTH

(This information comes to you from the US CDC)
What is stroke?
Stroke kills nearly 150,000 of the 860,000 Americans who die of cardiovascular disease each year—that is 1 in every 19 deaths from all causes.
A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, happens in one of two ways:

Ischemic stroke—when the blood supply to the brain is blocked

Hemorrhagic stroke—when a blood vessel in the brain bursts
A stroke causes brain tissue to die, which can lead to brain damage, disability, and death. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of serious long-term disability. This is disturbing because about 80% of strokes are preventable. You can greatly reduce your risk for stroke by making lifestyle changes to help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and, in some cases, by taking medication.
There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk
for stroke:
• Eat a healthy diet low in sodium with plenty of
fruits and vegetables. Tips on nutrition are available at
CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
website.
• Maintain a healthy weight. CDC’s Healthy Weight
website includes information and tools to help you lose
weight.
• Be physically active. Visit CDC’s Physical Activity
website for more information on being active.
• Do not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. CDC’s
Office on Smoking and Health website has information
on quitting smoking.
• Limit alcohol use. See CDC’s Alcohol and Public Health
website for more information.
• Prevent or manage your other health conditions,
especially high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
diabetes, and obesity. Visit CDC’s High Blood Pressure,
Cholesterol, and Diabetes webpages on these
conditions to learn more.
For More Information
Learn more about stroke at the following websites:
• CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

We are welcoming a new employee to the Med Unit, Ms. Kristen. She is already brightening our days and adding sparkle (masks).

People know sun protection is important, but often skip it

While more than three-quarters of Americans say that sun protection is important, less than half actually use it on a regular basis when they're heading outside, according to a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology. Some 28% of those polled said they rarely or never use sun protection, which includes using sunscreen, staying in the shade outside whenever possible, and wearing clothing such as hats or other items that can protect against the sun's rays. Sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancers, affecting one in every five Americans, so the AAD says it's important that people take steps to protect themselves. The AAD recommends that you

wear sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher
stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are the most intense
use clothing to protect your skin, such as a hat and long-sleeved shirt.

National Nurses Week is May 6-12

National Nurses Day, also known as National RN Recognition Day, is always celebrated on May 6th and opens National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about the history of nursing:
Prior to the foundation of modern nursing, nuns and the military often provided nursing-like services.
The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today in many countries, for example in the United Kingdom, senior female nurses are known as sisters.
The Crimean War was a significant development in nursing history, when English nurse Florence Nightingale, laid the foundations of professional nursing with the principles summarized in the book Notes on Nursing.

Nurses have experienced difficulty with the hierarchy in medicine that has resulted in an impression that nurses' primary purpose is to follow the direction of physicians. This tendency is certainly not observed in Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, where the physicians are mentioned relatively infrequently, and often in critical tones—particularly relating to bedside manner..

Please take time this week to show your support and thanks to all the nurses at US Mission Thailand. Here is a photo of just some of them.: Nurse May CHANANTO, Nurse Nueng OLANWIJITWONG, Nurse Cory YORK, Nurse Kristen KANERVA RICHARDS, Nurse Nalin DUANGPANYA, Nurse Noot TECHO, Nurse Erawan UPATHAM, Nurse Guide DENPIYAVIJIT (Chiang Mai).
There are many nurses working at the mission besides at the Health Unit (Peace Corps, CDC, AFRIMS, JUSMAG, those working at home and many others) we want to thank them all!

Peter T Guerin MD
Regional Medical Officer
US Mission Thailand

THE HEALTH UNIT IS OFFEREING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING

Do you know what to do if a loved one or colleague is choking, is a drowning victim, or having a heart attack? Do you think that all you can and need to do is to call for an ambulance and wait?

If you are not trained and do nothing someone can die before your eyes within minutes. Even in the best of times and best of places ambulances take 10 – 15 minutes to arrive.

All adults that are able should be trained in Basic Life Support and have refresher training every 2-3 years. Especially for those who live overseas and travel and are frequently in unfamiliar and unpredictable places and situations.

The US Embassy Bangkok Health Unit is ready and willing to offer Basic Life Support training to all Embassy Employees. If you or your colleagues or work unit is interested in Basic Life Support training, please send an email to [email protected]

May is National Teen Self Esteem Month and it’s a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring our teens are self aware and feel confident about themselves. The effect that their self esteem has on their physical and mental well being is of paramount importance and a crucial focus of the awareness month.

The teenage years are a notoriously difficult time for the majority of young people and therefore this is a fantastic way of checking in and ensuring we are doing everything that we can to support and nurture the teens in our lives- be it family or friends. On top of the physical, hormonal and emotional changes going on, teens also have to contend with the added pressures of social changes, new relationships, increased educational expectations, peer pressure and impossible societal standards perpetuated by the media, society and often parents.

Self esteem is often easily damaged and difficult to repair, so with the added complication of being a teenager it is highly understandable that teenagers can be particularly fragile.

There are many ways that we can engage more positively with teenagers and the character of the individual young person may respond more effectively to particular expertise and knowledge, however there are some really simple ways in which we can promote positive self esteem. And these tips aren’t restricted to assisting only teenagers. Perhaps we could all make use of them:

Lead by example

Avoid negative self talk and criticism.

Ensure you have open lines of communication – and if you don’t, get advice on how to create this.

Ensure you can be trusted

Guide and advise encouraging their own decision making within reasonable parameters.

Give them space

Listen and take an interest in their developing lives.

Many businesses and organizations seize the opportunity to support this awareness campaign in order to offer their services as a way of supporting teens. However it is not always necessary to engage with these businesses and organizations as sometimes just a chat and some special time with your teen is enough to encourage and strengthen their self esteem.

DENGUE SEASON IS COMING

Dengue is a viral Infectious disease transmitted by the bite of the female Aedes egypti mosquito. This disease occurs in the tropics and is common is Southeast Asia. As the monsoon rains come the mosquitos multiply and dengue infections start to increase.

For many people who contract dengue, the symptoms are so mild it may not be noticed or may be confused with other viral diseases. Some may have more pronounced symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, body pain, and rash. There is a rarer form of Dengue that occurs when someone contracts Dengue a second time with a different subtype and can lead to as even more severe illness.

The disease is spread when an Aedes mosquito bites a person with the Dengue Virus, sucks up the blood and virus, then bites a well person thus transmitting the virus. The Aedes mosquito likes urban areas, can live in and around your house and only needs very small amounts of water to breed.

How do we protect ourselves and loved ones? The Aedes mosquito can breed in even the smallest amount of water, so it is important that we do not have any standing water around or near our home, even a small amount in a cup. This mosquito can live for days in our home, behind drapes, under beds and in closets. Just one infected mosquito can infect multiple persons. It is important to keep our windows and doors shut, make sure they have screens, kill indoor mosquitos, and use the air-conditioner; mosquitoes do not like the cold.
Mosquitos are most active at sunrise and sunset so consider wearing long sleeve shirts / pants, light colors, and spray on mosquito repellent (30 – 50% DEET) when outdoors. When sleeping, if a mosquito net is available use it, they are very effective. Lastly, if you have fever more than three days or severe symptoms you should be seen at the medical unit or if it is a weekend you can call the duty medical officer thru the Embassy Operator: 2205-4000 or Duty Medical Officer: 0632704098.

Every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases more than 2.3 million deaths per year. 317 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product each year.

The International Labour Organization's (ILO) campaign for the 2017 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the critical need for countries to improve their capacity to collect and utilize reliable occupational safety and health (OSH) data.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted on September 25, 2015 encompasses a global plan of action with specific targets to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. With its adoption, the capacity to collect and utilize reliable OSH data has also become indispensable for countries to fulfil their commitment to implement and report on some of the agenda’s 17 sustainable development goals and their targets.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.

A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention.

National Infant Immunization
Awareness Week

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Since 1994, NIIW has served as a call to action for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure that infants are fully immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2022, NIIW is observed April 18 – 25.
Several important milestones already have been reached in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases among infants and adults worldwide. Vaccines have drastically reduced infant death and disability caused by preventable diseases in the United States. In addition:
• Through immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases before age two.
• In the 1950s, nearly every child developed measles, and unfortunately, some even died from this serious disease. Today, few physicians just out of medical school will ever see a case of measles during their careers.
• In March 2005, CDC announced that rubella is no longer a major health threat to expectant mothers and their unborn children, thanks to a safe and effective vaccine, high vaccine coverage.
• In September 2010, CDC announced that childhood immunization rates for vaccines routinely recommended for children remain at or near record highs.

Yet without diligent efforts to maintain immunization programs in the United States and to strengthen them worldwide, vaccine-preventable diseases will remain a threat to children. As illustrations, it’s only necessary to consider the 2010 California outbreak of whooping cough where over 8,000 cases were reported in the state and where there were 10 infant deaths, or measles, which takes the lives of more than 100,000 children globally each year.

Information obtained from the US Center for Disease Control