Health Commissioner Highlights Immunization Week

Muaz Saeb of Aberdeen on Monday morning proudly showed off his upper right arm, bandaged where he minutes ago was immunized at the Monmouth County Heath Department’s Childhood Immunization Clinic.

Saeb was among the first to receive inoculations at the clinic Monday, the kickoff day for a national campaign aimed at bolstering childhood immunizations.

Mary O'Dowd, state commissioner of health joined county officials at the clinic on Monday to kick off National Infant Immunization Week, which runs through April 27.

O’Dowd was at the Koslowski Road facility, along with Michael A. Meddis, public health coordinator for the Monmouth County Health Department.

“I think a lot of people forget just how serious illnesses are, such as flu, measles, chicken pox, pertussis,’’ O’Doud said. “It causes hospitalizations and deaths in children and adults every year and we know that we can prevent those, by increasing our immunization rates.’’

Meddis agreed, saying the county department is consistently trying to promote the value of getting vaccinated. 

“The diseases that immunizations prevent can be catastrophic,’’ Meddis said. “It’s very important that people be made aware of that.’’

In 2010, the U.S. had more than 21,000 cases of whooping cough reported and 26 deaths -- most in children younger than 6 months.  In 2011, 222 people were reported to have measles in the U.S., more than any year since 1996, according to the health department.

“These diseases are real,’’ O’Doud said. “The consequences of them can be fatal and the vaccine is the single most effective way to protect children.”

O’Doud said part of the initiative kick off on Monday was also to spread the word about federal programs that help those who are un- or underinsured to get the vaccinations that they need.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the new national health care law, many insurers are required to cover some preventive services for free, including vaccines for children from birth to 18 years of age.  Additionally, the national Centers for Disease Control runs a program providing vaccines at no cost to children from low-income families called “Vaccines for Children.”

“That kind of access is so important,’’ O’Doud said. “We want to make sure there are not disparities relative to our populations.”