Humboldt County joins more than 2,000 U.S. communities each May in celebrating National Toddler Immunization Month. The commemoration highlights the role vaccines play in protecting children, and underscores the importance of fully immunizing children against diseases like whooping cough and measles.

“Vaccines are the safest and most effective way to protect children from serious diseases,” said Susan Wardrip, DHHS’s immunization coordinator.

Since 2016, state legislation has required preschool, kindergarten and 7th-grade children to be immunized before attending school.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the number of local kindergarten students who had all of their required immunizations at the start of the 2016-17 school year increased by more than 4 percent over the previous school year.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Donald Baird said it is important that people of all ages get immunized.

“Immunizations save lives and are safe for children and adults,” Baird said. “Last year an estimated 36,000 to 40,000 people died in the United States from influenza. Don’t let this happen to you or your family.”

For more information about immunizations, contact your primary health care provider or the Humboldt County Public Health Clinic at 707-268-2108. Information about school vaccine requirements can be found at www.shotsforschool.org.

For a handy immunizations tracker from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/milestones-tracker.pdf.

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