Measles Update: It’s more important than ever to make sure your family is protected. Learn More
Measles Update: It’s more important than ever to make sure your family is protected. Learn More
The numbers tell the story: Vaccines save lives.
Scientists widely consider immunizations to be one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, and experts and medical science and research agree that timely immunization is vital to staying healthy.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that for children born in the U.S. from 1994 to 2013, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes. Vaccines have dramatically changed medicine over the last century.
Vaccines helped to end the worst global pandemic in more than a century.
As the world works towards achieving community immunity against COVID-19, the authorization of COVID-19vaccines dramatically slowed the rate of cases and deaths worldwide. In Michigan, the highest weekly record of COVID cases was mid-December 2020 when the vaccines were first authorized.
As vaccinations increased, cases and deaths have decreased and mask, travel, and social distancing mandates have been lifted. With the community more widely protected, the vaccine is saving lives and helping to protect those who cannot be vaccinated due to their age, such as children under the age of 12.
As of May 2021, only 1.1% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations nationally were in vaccinated individuals.
Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations before. For most Americans today, vaccines are a routine part of health care.
*Source: World Health Organization, 2015 counts are provisional
Other countries don’t have the same access to vaccines as the United States. As we have seen in the United States and in other countries, if we stop vaccinating, vaccine-preventable diseases can and will return. This is why we still vaccinate against diseases we no longer see in our country. If the majority of our country stopped vaccinating, one infected traveler from another country where a disease hasn’t been eliminated could potentially spark an outbreak.
I Vaccinate provides information and tools based on real medical science and research to help Michigan parents protect their kids. Support is provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Franny Strong Foundation.
As parents, determining how best to protect our children can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re here to help.
©2021 Franny Strong Foundation | All rights reserved
These schedules list the age or age range when each vaccine or series of shots is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If your child (birth through 6 years old) or adolescent (age 7 through 18 years old) has missed any shots, talk to your child’s doctor about getting back on track.
Vaccine Schedule Based On Your Child’s Birthday
Make sure your child is immunized on schedule. For a complete list of recommended immunizations, just select your child’s birth date.
From the CDC
Immunization Tracker
This print-friendly chart helps you track your child’s vaccinations at each appointment.
From the CDC
The Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), is an immunization registry managed by MDHHS and reported to by immunization providers. MCIR allows healthcare providers or individuals to access their immunization records regardless of their location in Michigan. This system also helps to track local and state immunization rates of Michigan residents to ensure immunity to vaccine-preventable illnesses. MCIR is a lifespan registry that includes infant through adult records.
Before, during, and after pregnancy protection
When you’re pregnant, you share everything with your baby. That means when you get vaccines, you aren’t just protecting yourself — you are giving your baby some early protection, too. The CDC has guidelines for the vaccines you and your baby need before, during, and after pregnancy.
From the CDC
Get prepared: Before, during, and after your child’s appointment
There are things you can do before, during and after your child’s appointment to make them easier and less stressful for both of you.
From the CDC
Mobile app from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia created a free mobile app called Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know so you can access credible, science-based information from wherever and whenever you need it.
Find your local Michigan public health department or immunization clinic
See the directory of Michigan’s 45 local public health departments for more information on your child’s immunization record and where to get them vaccinated.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines to parents and healthcare professionals.
Shot by Shot
Stories of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases is a collection of stories from people who have been touched by vaccine-preventable diseases.
Voices for Vaccines
Voices for Vaccines is a parent-led organization that supports and advocates for on-time vaccination and the reduction of vaccine-preventable disease.
Seattle Mama Doc: A Blog by Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson
Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson is a practicing pediatrician and the mother of two young boys. She practices at The Everett Clinic in Mill Creek, Washington, is on the medical staff at Seattle Children’s and is a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington.
Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases
PKIDs’ mission is to educate the public about infectious diseases, the methods of prevention and transmission, the latest advances in medicine, and the elimination of social stigma borne by the infected; and to assist the families of the children living with hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, or other chronic, viral infectious diseases with emotional, financial and informational support.
