HURRICANE, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources holding an event Wednesday to encourage parents to schedule immunization appointments for their children.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, commissioner of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, and Dr. Sherri Young, state immunization officer, were at My Family Preschool and Child Care Center in Hurricane to promote National Infant Immunization Week.
There are 14 diseases that children can be given vaccines for before the age of two: diphtheria; hepatitis A; hepatitis B; influenza; measles; rotavirus; haemophilus influenzae type B; tetanus; mumps; pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough); pneumococcal disease; polio; rubella; and chickenpox.
Young said West Virginia has the one of the top immunization rates in the United States for school-aged children at around 98 percent. The state’s immunization rate for children 1 to 2 years old, however, is one of the lowest.
“We are 49th,” she said. “We are at 65 percent as far as coverage.”
Young said parents are not sending their children to pediatricians during that time unless they are sick.
“Maybe (parents) don’t release (their children) need immunization throughout childhood before they need to go to school,” she said.
The theme of this year’s week is “power to protect,” reminding parents of their ability to prevent diseases from being spread.
“There remains more work to be done to help ensure more of West Virginia’s most vulnerable residents amongst us are vaccinated on time,” Gupta said in a statement.
Young said some parents may not understand the importance of vaccines, and doctors need to be active in administering immunizations to infants.
“They need to ensure follow up, educate the parents,” she said. “By far and away, providers play a critical role in supporting parents in understanding vaccinations.”
Young said children can receive some immunizations if they are sick depending on if they have a fever.