Kristie McNealy, MD

Earlier this week, I wrote about a recent study out of Colorado which showed that when vaccines are refused the risk of contracting whooping cough increases nearly 23-fold.  The same day, I happened to connect with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition on Twitter.  Considering the importance I place on these findings, I asked if they’d be willing to share their thoughts and resources here with all of you, and they graciously agreed to answer a few blog interview questions.

What is the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition mission?

Our mission is to ensure Colorado children receive all recommended vaccines at appropriate ages, providing maximal protection from vaccine-preventable disease. This means that CCIC works with physicians, nurses and public health officials to ensure that they get the vaccines needed to keep Colorado’s kids healthy. CCIC is also a resource for parents who want to find out more about vaccine safety, their child’s immunization schedule or any vaccine-related issue.

-Lydia McCoy, Executive Director of the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition

In the wake of the results of the study showing an increased risk of pertussis in unvaccinated Colorado children, what do you think the take home message should be for Colorado parents?

Protection and prevention are key. Parents work so hard to protect their babies from so many things. Vaccination is one more way to protect children by offering a barrier to prevent disease and keep them healthy.

How do poor vaccination rates in Colorado impact children and the general public?

Poor vaccination rates open the door to bringing more disease in our state. While vaccination has enabled us to reduce most vaccine-preventable diseases to low levels in the United States, many of these diseases are still common – and even epidemic – in other parts of the world. Babies can be vulnerable to these diseases from family members who travel around the world. Sadly, disease is only a plane ride away. That’s why babies, young children, and adolescents need immunizations to protect them against 16 dangerous, yet preventable diseases. Protecting children also protects those people around them, including parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other loved ones.

If parents are worried about vaccine safety, where can they look for good information on this topic?

The CCIC website has a good overview of information for concerned parents. We’d also recommend a helpful article from Dr. Ari Brown and the Immunization Action Coalition entitled “Clear Answers & Smart Advice About Your Baby’s Shots”.

Other good information sites for parents are:

• CDC National Immunization Program – http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
• Colorado Immunization Program – http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/immunization/
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Center – http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/microsite/microsite.jsp?id=75918

If you’re interested, the CCIC also wants you to know that:

We are always looking for parents and vaccine advocates to share their thoughts on vaccines – moms and dads can share their comments on vaccines by friending and following CCIC on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Many thanks to Dawn Crawford, the Communications Manager of the CCIC for helping us all by getting me this information so quickly!  I encourage you all to check out the CCIC website to earn more about childhood vaccination, become involved and share your story!

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• Pertussis Study Highlights Risks of Vaccine Refusal
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