Why Vaccines Are Important to Health

August is National Immunization Month, so it’s a good time to be sure that you and your loved ones are caught up on your immunizations. It’s hard to overstate the importance of vaccines for protecting your health as well as that of the people around you. Today, pregnant women and all caregivers should always ask their doctor about what vaccines they need.  The CDC recommends that all parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, babysitters, and other caregivers receive the flu vaccine and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine.

Likewise, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women stay up to date on vaccinations during pregnancy. Certain vaccines including for MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) are recommended before pregnancy and others such as the flu shot can either be given before or during a pregnancy. The whooping cough vaccine is another important vaccine from pregnant women. Each year, about 20 babies die from whooping cough in the U.S., so it’s important that the mother is immune to whooping cough so she can prevent unknowingly spreading this illness to her child.

Vaccines protect you from contracting dangerous but preventable illnesses such as measles and whooping cough. They also prevent you from spreading those diseases to others. If you choose not to vaccinate yourself or your children, you’re putting other people in danger. Children under the age of 12 months—who can’t be vaccinated yet—and people who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, in New York. For 45 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

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