August 21, 2008
Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in the County have prompted more interest in childhood immunizations and the diseases they protect against.
To address this interest, a forum entitled “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Childhood Immunizations But Were Afraid to Ask!” will take place from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at the Magdalena Ecke YMCA, 200 Saxony Rd. in Encinitas.
A panel of medical experts will speak with parents about childhood immunizations, vaccine safety, the importance of staying on track with the childhood vaccine schedule and other immunization concerns.
“We want parents to know how important childhood immunizations are, and that they are safe and effective,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., County Public Health Officer. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation circulating about vaccines, and this is an opportunity for parents to have their questions answered.”
Featured speakers include:
· Mark Sawyer, M.D., Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist at the UCSD School of Medicine and the Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego
· Eric Courchesne, PhD., Professor of Neurosciences at the UCSD School of Medicine and Principal Investigator of the UCSD Center for Autism Research
· A panel including Donald Miller, M.D., M.P.H., pediatrician at North County Health Services and local parents who will talk about how exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases affected their families.
The forum is sponsored by the San Diego Immunization Coalition Education and Outreach Committee. The committee is a partnership of about 150 public and private healthcare and social service organizations including the County Health and Human Services Agency, which is working to promote and provide immunizations across the lifespan—from birth to later life.
For more information about immunizations, the diseases they prevent and related issues, please visit the www.sdiz.org. To check your child’s immunization record with a nurse, have the record in hand and call the Shots Line toll free at 888-692-2575 weekdays during business hours.
