Health Dept encourages Vaccines during National Immunization Week

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- This week marks the National Immunization Week and the Health Department is sending a friendly reminder to get your kids vaccinated.

Public Health Nurse, Rene Colbert, stresses the importance of getting vaccines to not only protect your children, but other children who may be too young or unable to receive vaccinations.

“It’s important not only for your child but all of the children in your community. Diseases that we think are gone because we don’t see them as often as we used to are still out there. Other countries aren’t as current as we are on our immunization status so when people travel they go there and get the diseases and then they can bring them back here to people who aren’t vaccinated or can’t be vaccinated.”

With recent state laws requiring vaccinations in schools, Colbert encourages everyone to receive any required vaccinations to avoid their child missing school or parents missing work.

“It’s a state law that kids are not allowed in school after a certain amount of time if they are not up to date on their immunizations. So it’s a good idea now that its summer to start thinking about getting their kids in to be immunized so that they can start school in the fall and they don’t have to miss school and parents don’t have to miss work.”

Anyone wishing to receive a needed immunization can schedule an appointment by calling the Health Department at 740-454-9741 and dialing 2 for the Nurse Department.