Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   National Immunization Awareness Month, observed in August, focuses on increasing education and awareness about the importance of immunizations in protecting individuals and the community from harmful diseases.

Vaccinations play a critical role in maintaining overall health and preventing the spread of diseases. When your body is introduced to harmful pathogens (bacteria, viruses, or other microorganism that can cause disease) it encourages your immune system to create antibodies, combating potential long-term or deadly effects. This process provides the body with immunity from the disease through vaccination, which is where the term immunization originates.
U.S. Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Nathan Boggs, Walter Reed’s Allergy/Immunology chief, likens the internal process of a vaccination to providing your body with the correct tools to fight against dangerous disease. “The human immune system is like the Department of Defense, and when you get the real-life pathogen, you have a branch of service that is optimized to help fight that pathogen,” he explained. “It is kind of like giving the generals and Soldiers a picture of what they are going to fight, and vaccines are giving them the tools and training to fight.”

Vaccinations offer protection from a variety of diseases, including common ones like:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Shingles
• Flu (Influenza)
• HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
• Measles, Meningococcal, and Mumps
• Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

The best way to ensure that your immune system is prepared to combat changing, and persistent viruses is to follow the recommended vaccination schedule. These schedules, developed through extensive research and large clinical trials, ensure that your immune system is properly equipped for the threat at hand.

These routine schedules are especially important for children, who encounter pathogens in settings such as school and daycare. As the summer ends, it is important that your back-to-school list includes ensuring that your child is entering the classroom with the proper supplies to stay healthy.

Ensuring that your child receives all necessary vaccinations according to the recommended schedule is crucial for the well-being of their classmates and community. However, if you have missed a vaccine on the schedule, there are catch-up schedules available for missed vaccinations, along with knowledgeable nurses and providers who can guide families through the process of catching up on all their vaccinations.

At Walter Reed, we prioritize the well-being and safety of our team and their families. It is essential to prioritize your own health and safety to reduce the risk of illness for yourself and your colleagues. If you believe that you or your child may be overdue for vaccinations, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.

Vaccines are also important for service members and are administered to them on the basis of military occupation, the location of the deployment, and mission requirements. “Immunization is not only a critical part of having a fit and ready fighting force to ensure readiness and force health protection, it’s also an essential element of family readiness and sound preventive health care,” stated retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. (Dr.) Adam Robinson, the 36th Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy and commander of the former National Naval Medical Center.

For additional information on vaccinations, please review the following resource https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html.