National Infant Immunization Week highlights the importance of protecting infants and young children from vaccine-preventable diseases. This year, a primary focus is to ensure families stay on track for their children’s well-child visits and routinely recommended vaccinations.

• COVID-19 has caused many disruptions in families’ lives – and in some cases, it has meant that children have missed or delayed their wellness checkups and vaccination, which are a critical part of ensuring children stay healthy.
• CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinationsVaccine schedules.
• Most parents choose the safe, proven protection of vaccines. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age 2 is the best way to protect them from serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles.
• Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death.
• Vaccines help protect both individuals and communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
• Vaccination is a shared responsibility. Families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials must work together to help protect the entire community.
• Vaccines are safe. The U.S. has a long-standing vaccine safety system that ensures vaccines are as safe as possible. As new information and science become available, vaccine recommendations are monitored, updated, and improved.
• Trust in vaccines is built through millions of conversations between parents, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and community members. NIIW provides an opportunity to encourage vaccine conversations at all community levels.

Source: CDC. National Infant Immunization WeekGoes to CDC website.