Parents encouraged to get vaccinations for children

RBC — Officials from the
Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment are
reminding parents of National
Infant Immunization Week,
April 19-26, to make certain their
children are vaccinated against
disease.
This year Katie Trexler, former
anchor at KMGH-TV
Channel 7 and mother of 5-yearold
twins, is the spokesperson
for the Colorado immunization
week campaign.
“As amomof young children
and a journalist who has covered
this issue extensively, I’m
pleased to be able to remind parents
of the importance of childhood
vaccinations,” Trexler said.
Researchers at The Children’s
Hospital in Denver conducted a
study showing that more than
70,000 cases of serious illnesses
would occur annually among
Colorado children if they were
not vaccinated. The diseases
include polio, tetanus, measles,
mumps and diphtheria.
“The suffering or death from
a vaccine-preventable disease is
an unnecessary human tragedy,”
said Ned Calonge, chief medical
officer for the state health department.
“We need to renew our
efforts to ensure that no child,
adolescent or adultwill needlessly
suffer from a vaccine-preventable
disease.”
Calonge said that recent
news reports on autism and vaccinations
may have led many to
wrongly conclude that there is a
scientific basis to suspect autism
is caused by vaccination.
“There now have been 16
separate, independent studies
undertaken in five countries,
involving millions of children,
that have found no link between
vaccination, vaccines or vaccine
preservatives (namely, the mercury-
based thimerosal) and
autism. We have more data supporting
this lack of association
than for most other “known
facts” in medicine,” Calonge
said.For more information on
what vaccinations babies and
children should receive, please
go to the department’s Web site
at www.cdphe.state.co.us or call
1-877-462-2911.