Press Releases: Georgia
March 29, 2002
Immunizations important to children's health
ATLANTA, Ga. – National Infant Immunization Week, April 14 - 20 is a good time for parents to review their child's immunization records to determine if their vaccines are up-to-date.
Luke Beno, MD, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente of Georgia's Southwood Medical Center in Jonesboro, says, "While some parents think childhood vaccinations are unnecessary or that they may cause side effects or serious reactions in their children, the benefits of immunization far outweigh the rare risks from vaccines. By keeping their child's immunizations current, parents are protecting them from dangerous diseases.
"There are so many different vaccines on the market now that parents may be confused about which are required or afraid of the number of shots needed. Vaccines and vaccination schedules are studied extensively for efficacy and safety," Dr. Beno says. "If they have questions or concerns, parents should talk openly with their child's pediatrician or family practitioner."
Dr. Beno shares this information:
- Infants are immune to many diseases because they are born with antibodies they get from their mothers. In the first year of life the antibodies wear off and babies need to be vaccinated to build up a protection against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, haemophilus influenza type B (Hib disease), hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), and pneumococcal disease.
- The need for immunizations doesn't stop when children start school. Teens need the protection of vaccines too.
- Young adults, especially those considering body piercing, need a tetanus shot between ages 12 - 16. Teenagers should also consider immunization against hepatitis B, a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to severe disease or liver cancer. Other vaccines, such as those against chicken pox, meningitis, and hepatitis A, may be needed as well.
Keeping children healthy and protected from disease is an important priority for Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, which regularly provides parents with immunization schedules and information about the risks and benefits of vaccines. Most parents follow these schedules and few children start school without the vaccinations required by law.
Earlier this year, Kaiser Permanente received the "Champions for Immunizations" award from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Kaiser Permanente won the award for its innovative childhood immunization program and leadership in having the nation's most successful immunization rate of 90.6 percent. Another factor that contributed to the award is Kaiser Permanente's collaborative work with the Georgia Health Division in developing GRITS, the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services. The goal of GRITS is to track immunization information for any children receiving immunizations in Georgia.
If you would like to speak to Dr. Beno about childhood immunizations or about Kaiser Permanente's immunization initiatives, please call Matthew Grund at (404) 364-7074.
Kaiser Permanente is the state of Georgia's largest nonprofit health plan, serving the health care needs of Atlanta metro area residents for 22 years. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. currently provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in a 28-county service, and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The Health Plan provided more than $5 million in community benefit programs and services.
