Immunizations and Children's Health

As a parent there is many things you want for your children.  You want them to grow up knowing that they are loved.  You want to provide them with opportunities in life to reach their fullest potential.  And you want them to be healthy and happy. Vaccination is one of the most important ways you can protect your child’s health. 

Diseases that were once common‑place, such as polio, measles, mumps, whooping cough, diphtheria, and rubella, are now only distant memories for most Americans because of vaccinations.  But if you ask your parents or grandparents, they remember the suffering and death they caused.  You may think they are in the past but they are still with us and exist in many parts of the world, including here in the United States.

One child's chance of catching a disease is low if everyone else is immunized. However, if you are thinking it is safe not to immunize your child then chances are that other parents are thinking the same thing. With each child who isn't immunized it gives these highly contagious diseases one more chance to spread.

This actually happened in 1989 when an epidemic of measles broke out in the United States.  Fewer parents had gotten their preschooler vaccinated which caused a sharp jump in the number of children getting measles, as well as the number of deaths and children with permanent brain damage.  In 2010, California had large outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) due to low immunization levels.  The only way to make sure that does not happen to your child is to make sure they get all of their vaccinations on time.

The Virginia Beach Dept. of Public Health provides free vaccinations for children who live in Virginia Beach.  The Health Deptartment has a walk-in immunization clinic from 8:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Monday – Thursday and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Friday mornings are by appointment only.  Call 757-518-2700 for more information.​