[StBernard] EDITORIAL: Our Views: Children need vaccinations

[Westley Annis]

Periodically, the press office will publish editorials and columns that feature Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's work in various areas. 

The Advocate Opinion page staff 
Published: Aug 15, 2007 - Page: 6B 
View the article 
<http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/9164522.html> 

The start of another school year underscores the importance of having children vaccinated to prevent the spread of disease.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco has made improving vaccination rates for children a priority in her administration, and we commend her for that.

During Blanco's term, Louisiana has risen 17 percentage points in national rankings for the number of child immunizations.

This month, required childhood immunizations are available at parish health offices. Some of these clinics offered extended hours to help parents get their children vaccinated before school started.

Free shots are available for children eligible to participate in the Vaccines for Children program, which caters to low-income families.

Families not eligible for free shots can get the necessary vaccines through their family pediatricians.

This is the fourth year that that Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health has staged a push to help immunize children for the coming school year.

"Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death," the governor said in launching this year's vaccination campaign. "They not only help protect vaccinated individuals from developing potentially serious diseases, they also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious agents. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, so it is critical they are protected through immunization."

Disease prevention is much cheaper and more effective than treatment. That's why the statewide push to boost vaccination rates should be taken seriously.

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org