Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman talks about those other vaccinations we all need

 

by Greg Kesterman,

While the world anxiously awaits the day a vaccine becomes available to help prevent COVID-19, I wanted to take a moment for a more general vaccine discussion.

As has been evidenced through the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination is perhaps the most valuable public health tool available. Some of us are old enough to remember friends, relatives and classmates stricken by polio. Many of us remember chicken pox, mumps and measles – the disease staples of childhoods past.

When is the last time you heard about a child with polio? For young parents, how many of you have comforted your sick children through chicken pox, mumps or measles. My guess is that there are not many parents, if any at all, who have had to deal with these issues in the last 25 years.

The reason we hear so little about these diseases today is simple – immunization has significantly reduced these illnesses in the United States. However, without continued immunization programs, these diseases, many of which are still prevalent in less-developed countries, can quickly return.

That is what makes our current trend of vaccinations disturbing. Hamilton County Public Health has experienced a decline of more than 50 percent in the number of vaccines administered in our clinics as compared to the same time period last year. Our trend mirrors current national vaccination numbers.

 

 

Efforts to reduce transmission of COVID-19, such as stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, have led to decreased use of routine preventive medical services, including immunizations. Ensuring that routine vaccination is maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for protecting individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks. Routine vaccination prevents illnesses that lead to unnecessary medical visits, hospitalizations and further strain the healthcare system.

For the upcoming influenza (flu) season, influenza vaccination will be more important than ever to reduce the impact of respiratory illnesses in the population and resulting burdens on the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

Many parents are concerned about vaccine safety. After all, if these diseases are truly things of the past, why do we need to vaccinate our children? Vaccination is most effective when the majority of a community receives it. No vaccine is 100 percent effective and for this reason, immunization of the majority of a community helps prevent communicable disease from spreading. This theory is called “herd immunity” and is particularly effective in protecting the most vulnerable in our society, such as infants and those with compromised immune systems.

There has also been considerable misinformation about potential side effects of various vaccines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has the safest vaccine supply in its history. The United States’ long-standing vaccine safety system ensures that vaccines are as safe as possible. It detects problems rapidly and allows us to respond.

 

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures the safety, effectiveness, and availability of vaccines for the United States. Before the FDA licenses (approves) a vaccine, the vaccine is tested extensively by its manufacturer. FDA scientists and medical professionals carefully evaluate all the available information about the vaccine to determine its safety and effectiveness.

As we enter the fall, back-to-school season and of course, flu season, I urge everyone to get a flu shot. In addition, please make certain vaccinations for you and your children are up-to-date. Need help with vaccination? We can help those either under-insured or with no insurance, as well as those on Medicaid or in a Medicaid HMO to get properly immunized. Call us at 513-946-7882 for information.

 

 

 

 

 

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Vaccination Clinics in Warren County

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