For the Tomahawk Leader
LINCOLN COUNTY – The Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) last week provided information on National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance held in August that highlights the importance of vaccination for all ages.
“From young children to older adults, all people benefit from getting vaccines throughout the lifespan,” LCHD stated. “It is important to remember at each life stage to check in with your healthcare provider or local health department if you have questions on what the current recommendations are.”
LCHD noted that pharmacists are also health care providers that can help provide recommendations and administer vaccines.
“We live in an increasingly global world, and rates of many vaccine-preventable diseases have increased worldwide, which makes our community more vulnerable to illness,” LCHD said. “Vaccines protect travelers from diseases abroad that are not common in the United States.”
View health recommendations for travelers at www.wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/.
“Making sure travel vaccines are up to date is important to do,” said Jennifer Johnson, LCHD Public Health Nurse. “This is especially true now that people are able to travel more than before and routine vaccinations are behind in many due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is very important to be aware of recommended shots.”
Johnson added that with the recent polio case in New York, it is important to remember that vaccines work to prevent disease.
“Due to decline in use, we will see an increase in preventable diseases,” she stated.
Although looking at health information can get complicated, LCHD said, it is important for all people who are making decisions for their own health or others to make sure the source of information is coming from a good place.
“To check, it can be as easy as asking simple questions,” LCHD stated. “In general, you find good information from professional, government or nonprofit organizations. A trustworthy source has one specific goal: To give you correct and accurate information.”
LCHD recommends using this checklist (www.bit.ly/3Q2xafY) to help sort out useful information versus partly true or false details.
To learn more about National Immunization Awareness Month, visit www.bit.ly/2SAr4a5.