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Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
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Press Release
For Immediate Release
April 11, 2003
Contact: CDC/NIP press office
404-353-6558
National Infant Immunization Week Urges
Parents to Vaccinate
1 Million U.S. Children Not Fully Immunized
(Los Angeles, CA) -- The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the
Immunization Coalition of Los Angeles County (ICLAC) will kick off National
Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 13 - April 19, at 10 a.m. today,
Friday, April 11, at California Family Care Medical Group (CFCMG) in Los
Angeles.
NIIW is an annual observance that emphasizes the need to fully immunize
children age 2 and younger against 11 vaccine-preventable diseases. Each
day 11,000 babies are born who will need to be immunized against 11
diseases before age 2. Despite recent gains in childhood immunization
coverage, more than 20 percent of the nation抯 2-year-olds are still
missing one or more of the recommended immunizations.
揑mmunizations are one of the most important ways parents can protect their
children against serious diseases,?said Dr. Walter Orenstein, assistant
surgeon general, and director of CDC抯 National Immunization Program.
揂lthough immunization coverage among children in the United States is the
highest ever recorded for most vaccines, one million of our nation抯
children are still not fully immunized,?said Orenstein.
Vaccines are among the 20th Century抯 most successful and cost-effective
public health tools available for preventing disease and death. High
immunization coverage levels translate into record or near-record low
levels of vaccine-preventable diseases.
揥hile immunization coverage among children in the United States is at or
near record levels for most vaccines, unfortunately, not all Americans are
benefiting equally from medical advances and disease prevention,?said Dr.
Cristina Beato, principal deputy assistant secretary for Health at the U.
S. Department of Health and Human Services. 揟he nation抯 health status
will never be as good as it can be as long as we have racial disparities in
our health care system.?br>
The immunization coverage rate gap between Latinos and Caucasians has
closed significantly since 1995, when the coverage rate for Hispanic
children was 68 percent compared to 76 percent for White children.
Nationally, just 77 percent of Hispanic children aged 19-35 months of age
have received the recommended 4 doses of DTaP, 3 doses of polio, 1 dose of
measles-containing vaccine, and 3 doses of Hib vaccine. This compares to
nearly 79 percent for White children. Although vaccination rates for Latino
children have increased, pockets of need still exist in Los Angeles and in
other parts of the country and among transient populations .
African-American immunization rates remain low compared to national
statistics. Nationally, only 71 percent of African American children have
received all of their recommended vaccines.
To support NIIW, The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and CDC
will unveil a new childhood immunization campaign at the event. The
campaign, La Promesa (The Promise), asks parents to Prometa vacunarlos
(Promise to vaccinate), a Spanish-language 30-second PSA, and It All Adds
Up, Vaccinate!, an English-language 30-second PSA. Both stress the
importance of vaccinating children in the first 24 months of life to
protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases. Additional campaign
components include: A full-color, bilingual Libretas de vacunaci髇
(Immunization booklet), print ads, and a travel exhibit for Hispanic
community events and health fairs, and poster. The PSAs provide parents
with visual and audio cues to reinforce the childhood recommended
vaccination schedule: at birth, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 15 months.
California Hospital Medical Center will offer free immunization clinics for
children two and younger from April 11-May 30, 2003 at the following
hospital clinics:
California Family Care Medical Group
Foshay Learning Center Clinic
Primeros Pasitos Clinic
Clinica Para Las Mujeres (VernBro)
California Family Medical Clinic
For more information, call 1-800-364-2057 ext 34. To order immunization
booklets or download the poster, go to
www.cy118119.com/nip. For more information please visit
www.cy118119.com/nip/ or call
1-800-232-0233 (Spanish) or 1-800-232-2522 (English).
# # #
CDC protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling
diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible
information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through
strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.
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