Protecting New Hampshire’s Children: The Vital Role of Vaccines
As parents, we take every precaution to keep our children safe—installing car seats, baby-proofing the house, and ensuring they eat well and exercise. But one of the most powerful protections we can give them is the vaccinations recommended by their pediatrician. Immunizations protect children from serious, sometimes life-threatening diseases while also strengthening the health of our families and entire community.
Why Vaccines Matter in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has historically strong immunization rates, helping to keep dangerous diseases like measles, polio, and whooping cough at bay. But with recent declines in childhood vaccination rates across the U.S., the risk of outbreaks is growing. Measles, for example, has made a comeback in several states due to low vaccination coverage.
6 Reasons Why Childhood Vaccines Are Essential
Vaccines Can Save Your Child’s Life:
Diseases like measles, polio, and bacterial meningitis can cause severe complications or even death. Some, like tetanus, have no cure; vaccination is the only effective protection.
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Have Not Gone Away:
While vaccines have made many diseases rare, the viruses and bacteria that cause them still exist. If vaccination rates drop, these diseases can return and spread rapidly, as we have seen in recent years.
Immunizing Your Child Helps Protect Others:
Vaccination isn’t just about individual protection—it helps create community immunity. When enough people are vaccinated, diseases struggle to spread, protecting infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
Vaccines are Safe and Effective:
Vaccines go through rigorous testing before approval and continue to be monitored for safety. Vaccines have successfully eliminated diseases like smallpox worldwide, a massive accomplishment. Because of vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated, and polio has been nearly eliminated. If we continue to vaccinate today, future generations may no longer need protection against diseases like measles.
It’s Much Safer to Get the Vaccine than the Disease:
Getting sick to “build immunity” is dangerous. And, our kids are too precious to risk. Many vaccine-preventable diseases, like meningitis and chickenpox, can cause lifelong disabilities or death. Vaccination is the safest way to develop immunity.
Vaccines Can Help Reduce Antibiotic Resistance:
Fewer infections mean less reliance on antibiotics, which helps prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria from developing.
Taking Action to Protect Our Children
New Hampshire has an opportunity to lead by example and ensure that every child gets the protection they need. With the rise in vaccine exemptions, we must work together to keep our communities safe.
What You Can Do:
Check your child’s vaccination records and schedule any missing doses.
Talk to your pediatrician or provider if you have questions about vaccine safety.
Encourage other parents to vaccinate their children and protect the community.
Support public health initiatives that promote vaccination in schools and childcare centers.
Vaccines are a simple, proven, and safe way to keep New Hampshire’s children, families, and communities healthy. Let’s work together to ensure that every child has the healthiest future possible.
