(Submitted by Wood County Health Department)
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life.
Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools for preventing disease and death. They help protect vaccinated individuals as well as entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
Immunization is important for both children and adults. You have the power to protect yourself and your family against serious diseases like whooping cough, cancers caused by HPV, and pneumonia, with on-time vaccination.
Giving babies their recommended immunizations by age 2 and throughout childhood is the best way to protect them. Parents should ask their child’s doctor about what vaccines are recommended for their age.
Wood County Health Department provides immunizations for children 18 or under whose health care providers do not offer vaccines. For more information or to make an appointment, call 419-354-9049.
If you don’t typically get a flu vaccine, 2020 is the best time to give it a shot. Flu season is always one of the busiest times in health care, and hospitals will be double-tasked this year caring for patients with serious symptoms from COVID-19. You can help minimize the potential impact on our local health care system by getting a flu vaccine that can prevent influenza, which causes hundreds of thousands to be hospitalized each year.
Flu shots are typically recommended in September and October, so that the immunity it grants can extend through the winter and protect you when flu season is the most active. Flu shots are always widely available at pharmacies and through your health care provider, often at no out of pocket cost.
Aside from getting a vaccine, you can protect yourself and others this flu season by washing your hands often, avoiding people who are ill, staying home if you become sick, and taking antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.
The mission of Wood County Health Department is to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the health of everyone in Wood County. Our Community Health Center provides comprehensive medical services for men, women and children. We welcome all patients, including uninsured or underinsured clients, regardless of their ability to pay, and we accept most third-party insurance. For more information, visit www.WoodCountyHealth.org.
