Suffolk County, NY - April 15, 2016 - You want to do what is best for your children. You know about car seats, baby gates, baby monitors, childproofing your home, and other ways to keep children safe. But, did you know that one of the best ways to protect your children is to make sure they have all of their vaccinations?

1. Immunizations Can Save Your Child’s Life.
Because of advances in medical science, your child can be protected against more diseases than ever before. Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children are no longer common in the U.S. – primarily due to safe and effective vaccines.

2. Vaccination Is Very Safe And Effective.
Vaccines are only given to children after careful review by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals. Side effects are almost always mild such as redness or swelling at the site of the shot. Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, are very rare. The benefits of getting vaccinated are much greater than the possible side effects for almost all.

3. Immunization Protects Others You Care About.
Children in the U.S. still get vaccine-preventable diseases. In fact, we have seen resurgences of measles and whooping cough (pertussis) over the past few years. While some babies are too young to be protected by vaccination, others may not be able to receive certain vaccinations due to allergies, weakened immune systems, or other reasons. Keep them safe. Make sure children who can get vaccinated do.

4. Immunizations Can Save Your Family Time And Money.
A child with a vaccine-preventable disease can be denied attendance at schools or daycare facilities. Some vaccine-preventable diseases can result in prolonged disabilities and can take a financial toll because of lost time at work, medical bills or long-term disability care. In contrast, getting vaccinated is a good investment and usually covered by insurance.

5. Immunization Protects Future Generations.
Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations ago. For example, smallpox vaccination eradicated that disease worldwide. Your children don’t have to get smallpox vaccinations anymore because the disease no longer exists anywhere in the world. If we continue vaccinating now, parents in the future may be able to trust that diseases of today will no longer be around to harm their children in the future.

Text4baby is a free digital health information service for parents with infants under the age of 1. Text4baby delivers information about immunizations and appointment reminders for your baby. Enroll in Text4baby in three ways: 

1.    Download the Text4baby app
2.    Text BABY (English) or BEBE (Spanish) to 511411.
3.    Sign up on www.text4baby.org