National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases
and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs around the country and highlights the critical role vaccination plays in protecting the health of children, families, and 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, including influenza. In 2019, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of NIIW.
2019 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program. VFC is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. The VCF program helps children get their vaccines according to the recommended immunization schedule. It has helped increase childhood immunization coverage levels, making a significant contribution to the elimination of disparities in vaccination coverage among young children. Families who need help paying for childhood vaccines should ask their healthcare professional about the VFC program. For help in finding a local healthcare professional who participates in the VFC program, parents can contact their state health department or visit cdc.gov/features/vfcprogram.
Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. They not only help protect vaccinated individuals, but also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough and measles.
Protecting babies from whooping cough begins before a baby is even born. All pregnant women are recommended to receive the whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) during each pregnancy. The recommended time to get the shot is during the 27th through 36th week of pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period. This will help protect babies from whooping cough until they can receive their first whooping cough vaccine at 2 months.
Despite being eliminated in the US, public health officials still report measles cases and outbreaks to the CDC. Measles is still commonly transmitted in many parts of the world. When measles gets into communities of unvaccinated people, outbreaks are more likely to occur and makes it possible for the virus re-establish itself again. Recent outbreaks have occurred in the United States, including in New Jersey in 2019, making immunization against this disease still important.