August 11, 2022 August is National Immunization Awareness Month National Immunization Awareness Month is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. About The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging parents to ensure their children’s immunizations are up to date as part of back-to-school preparations. COVID-19 disrupted both in-person learning and routine well-child visits for many children over the last year. As a result, many children have fallen behind on receiving recommended vaccines. According to the CDC, public sector vaccine ordering data show a 14% drop in 2020-2021 compared to 2019, and measles vaccine is down by more than 20%. The national vaccination coverage among kindergarten children during the 2020-2021 school year dropped by about 1% from the previous year— that amounts to 35,000 more children without vaccination documents. Here is a list of resources for educators and parents including information on vaccines, immunization schedules, and answers to frequently asked questions: American Academy of Pediatrics – Healthy Children.org Immunization page: CDC easy-to-read immunization schedules CDC’s vaccine website for parents and Infant Immunization FAQs CDC’s series of three 1-minute videos The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, which provides free vaccines to children who qualify TweetShare1PinShare1 Shares
