The Bear Valley Unified School District resumes classes on August 4, and now is a good time to ensure that your children are fully immunized. To prevent diseases from spreading, children are required to receive several immunizations before attending school and childcare. Ensuring that infants and young children receive all of their vaccinations on time is one of the most important things parents can do to protect the long-term health of a child – as well as the health of their friends and classmates.
School administrators, teachers, staff and students, should also be immunized to protect themselves and others.
Immunization is one of modern medicine’s most significant public health achievements, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines have eliminated smallpox and wild poliovirus in the U.S., and greatly reduced the number of cases of measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Even with these efforts, however, tens of
thousands of people in the U.S. still die from vaccine-preventable diseases every year. The bottom line is; vaccines help save lives.
“Protecting the health of San Bernardino County’s youth is one of our most urgent priorities,” said Dr. Maxwell Ohikhuare.
Back-to-school week is a part of our commitment to ensure that our children receive all the benefits immunizations can provide.
Call your health care provider now to schedule an appointment and be sure to bring your child’s immunization record with you. If your child does not have insurance, or is partially insured, ask your health care provider or local health department about getting low cost vaccines. Please visit the San Bernardino County Public Health website at www.sbcounty.gov/dph for low cost clinics in San Bernardino County or call 1-800-722-4777 for assistance.
The public health clinic in Big Bear is located at 477 Summit Blvd.
For additional information about immunizations, please visit:
California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch: www.GetImmunizedCA.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/vaccines
American Academy of Pediatrics, childhood immunization support program: www.cispimmunize.org
