Don't hesitate to immunize your children

For many years there were limited vaccines that could stop epidemics: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The first three were combined into one shot, the polio was a live weakened virus given as drops, and the DTP was made up of pertussis germs killed with formalin and crushed up and given as a whole cell vaccine.

Since then the power of immunization has expanded at the same time the number of children suffering with these diseases is shrinking. Hemophilus influenza type B, pneumococcus, meningococcus, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, varicella vaccines are part of an impressive show of force against potentially deadly diseases.

One of the problems with immunizations is that they prevent diseases. For the potential victim that is cool, but for the protected generations the emotional threat of mortality is gone, and so goes their interest to protect themselves and their children.

Highlighting some of the diseases may help combat the continued misinformation and just plain indifference or ignorance to immunizations.

It is particularly important now as the community experiences outbreaks, the consequences of limited protection in some.

Pneumococcus and Hib are life and mind takers. Pediatricians were taught to think meningitis, meningitis, meningitis. Now it is almost unheard of to pick up a case caused by these villains. Besides brain infections, they are also responsible for blood, ear and lung invasions. It is critical not to turn back the clock and suffer the complications or doing spinal taps on every child with a fever.

Hepatitis A and B are dramatically different in their virulence, but they are both liver viruses. The B is bad. The A is annoying. B can stay active in the body. It is like the body's immune system has made a pact to do no harm to the virus. Meanwhile it is transmittable to others. It is also a disease that can trigger cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. We give these vaccines to children to protect them from the risks in 20 years, 40 years or 60 years.

Pertussis, or whooping cough vaccine, has been cleaned up so it does not cause the fevered reactions it had before. The patients cough so hard and long they vomit. Sadly, infants can die from hypoxia during one of these spells.

It is measles that is now plaguing and threatening the community. Measles is a virus that can make you very ill or kill you. It is highly contagious.