National Immunization Awareness Month 2022
August is observed as National Immunization Awareness Month. This event is annually observed to highlight the importance of vaccination in people of all age groups. The major goal of this event is to raise awareness about how important vaccination is to prevent chronic and fatal diseases. Immunization is an essential healthcare component and is every human’s right.
- More than 20 life-threatening diseases can be prevented by vaccines, aiding people of all ages to live a long healthy life.
- Immunization currently prevents 3.5- 5 million deaths yearly from various diseases like influenza, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and measles.
Let’s discuss more about immunization, its importance, and various diseases that can be prevented.
What Is Immunization?
Immunization is the procedure by which a person becomes resistant or immune to a particular disease upon administration of a vaccine. This vaccine stimulates the immune system and provides immunity to the person and help them stay protected against diseases and infections.
Benefits Of Immunization
The various benefits of immunization are:
- Save lives: Immunization through vaccines has helped safeguard the lives of children from various dangerous and deadly diseases. Also, in some countries, immunization has aided in eradicating widely spreading diseases like smallpox.
- Safeguard the future generation: Immunization has helped protect the lives of the future generation by getting rid of serious diseases, such as polio. Certain diseases are passed from the mother to the unborn baby. Vaccination of the mother can help prevent and protect the lives of the upcoming generations from serious diseases.
- Protect your near and dear ones: Often, preventable diseases are also communicable (spreads from one person to another). The infected person might survive at times, but their near ones would not make it through due to weak immunity. Hence, it is essential to get immunization to protect yourself and the people you love.
- Cost effective: Immunization is one of the cost effective ways to improve global welfare. It keeps the families and communities safe by protecting them from many dreadful diseases.
- Prevention of disabilities in children: Immunization on time can help prevent the development of diseases that can cause disabilities in children.
15 Diseases And Their Vaccines
S.NO | DISEASE | VACCINE |
1. | Poliomyelitis (polio) | Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine |
2. | Tuberculosis | Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) |
3. | Influenza | |
4. | Hepatitis B | |
5. | Human Papillomavirus | HPV Vaccine |
6. | Diphtheria | DTP Vaccine |
7. | Tetanus | DTP Vaccine |
8. | Whooping cough (Pertussis) | DTP Vaccine |
9. | Chickenpox (Varicella) | Varicella Vaccine (chickenpox vaccine) |
10. | Rotavirus | Rotavirus Vaccine |
11. | Mumps | MMR Vaccine |
12. | Measles | MMR Vaccine |
13. | Rubella | MMR Vaccine |
14. | Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) | Hib Vaccine |
15. | Pneumococcal Disease |
Awareness Is The First Step To Change
This National Immunization Awareness Month 2022, spread awareness about the importance of immunization among your near and dear ones.
- Educate parents about the importance of childhood immunization and how it can prevent childhood disabilities and mortality.
- Educate mothers about why they need to get immunized and prevent the risk of the passing of disease in the fetus.
- Spread the word among your family and friends about getting immunized and ask them to do the same
Before you create awareness among others, ensure that you get yourself immunized. Pull out your medical records, call your doctor and get yourself immunized as Change starts with you, but it doesn’t start until you do.
