IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM
2016 NIIW Key Messages
Use these key messages to talk to patients, partners and community members.
Parents and providers are doing a great job vaccinating!
▪
▪
▪
▪
The vast majority of parents fully vaccinate their child.
Childhood diseases that were once common are rarely seen in the U.S. today because of the success
of immunizations.
▪ Many of those diseases are just a plane ride away (or closer).
Vaccinating on time every time is the key to keeping deadly diseases away from our communities.
The Minnesota Vaccines for Children (MnVFC) program provides free or low-cost shots to children
(18 years of age and younger) who don’t have insurance or whose insurance does not cover the cost
of vaccines.
▪ Go to the Can My Child Get Free or Low Cost Shots?
(www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/immunize/howpay.html) to see if your child is eligible for
the MnVFC program.
It’s never too early to think about immunizations for your baby.
▪
▪
▪
Pregnancy is a great time to learn about what vaccines your baby will need.
Educate yourself about immunizations now before the excitement of having a new baby.
▪ Organizations like these are a great place to get reliable information:
▪ Minnesota Department of Health (www.health.state.mn.us/immunize)
▪ American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www2.aap.org/immunization/)
▪ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/vaccines)
▪ Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (www.chop.edu/centersprograms/vaccine-education-center)
The diseases vaccines prevent are very real and can have serious health effects.
▪ Vaccines are safe and are held to extremely high safety standards before being approved by the
FDA for use.
▪ Talk to your prenatal provider if you have questions about what immunizations your baby will
need or the diseases they prevent.
Protecting newborns starts with immunizing mom during pregnancy.
▪
▪
▪
Vaccines recommended during pregnancy are safe for pregnant women and their unborn babies.
▪ Two vaccines recommended during pregnancy are whooping cough (pertussis) and flu vaccine.
▪ Health care providers may also recommend other vaccines before, during, or after
pregnancy depending on age, vaccine history, or other conditions.
After a pregnant woman gets immunized, the antibodies she passes to her baby will protect the
baby until they are old enough to get vaccinated.
When infants are too young to be vaccinated, adults and children around them should be vaccinated
to provide protection.
February 2016