Complacency and misinformation about vaccine safety is threatening the vaccination rate of Canadian children, the Canadian Public Health Association warns. The CPHA, along with Health Canada, the CMA and 8 other national organizations, is sponsoring National Immunization Week from Oct. 25-29.
"Because we don't see many of these diseases we forget how devastating they can be," said Mary Appleton of the Canadian Immunization Awareness Program. Complacency about the need to keep vaccinations up to date leaves many children unprotected. "We run the risk of epidemics," she says. "Just 1 infected visitor could send thousands of unprotected children to hospital." Public health crises due to low immunization rates are already a reality. England experienced a pertussis epidemic between 1977 and 1979, when immunization rates fell to 25%. During that time 100 000 unprotected people became ill, and 100 died. Physicians can direct parents seeking more information about vaccinations to www.ciap.cpha.ca.