Protect yourself and your family
Immunizations are an excellent way to protect yourself and your family against many diseases. Age-appropriate immunization starts at birth and continues through adulthood, with special emphasis through age two.
Your health care provider can help you determine which immunizations you may need. If you do not have a health care provider, Oregon SafeNet can help you find a provider.
| In the era before vaccines, millions of American children died from childhood diseases. Today children who are not immunized or up-to-date on their shots are still at risk of serious illness, particularly infants. Infants are more likely to suffer more complications - even death - if they contract vaccine-preventable disease. |
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Many people think that shots are only for babies. But protecting your health is a lifelong project. Young people between the ages of 11-19 who are at risk of getting serious diseases like tetanus, meningitis, chickenpox, infections leading to cervical cancer and others. Getting immunized is an adult responsibility that teens can start practicing now.
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Adults, too, may be at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases and their complications, if they escaped natural infection or have not been vaccinated with toxiods or vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox) and poliomyelitis.
Diseases like hepatitis B, rabies, influenza, and pneumococcal disease may pose a risk to persons in certain age, occupational, environmental, and life-style groups and those with special health problems. Women of child-bearing age should be fully immunized to protect themselves and, in the case of pregnancy, their unborn child.
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Travelers to some countries may also be at increased risk of exposure to vaccine-preventable illnesses. |
A systematic approach to vaccination is necessary to ensure that every person is appropriately protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Every visit to a health-care provider should be an opportunity to review and update immunization status. Health-care providers and individuals should maintain detailed records about each person's vaccination history.