April 22-29, 2006 is National Infant Immunization Week. District 4 Public Health would like to remind parents of infants that vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. They not only help protect vaccinated individuals from developing potentially serious diseases, they also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious agents.
Children should be vaccinated against the following vaccine preventable diseases by age 2:

· Measles
· Mumps
· Rubella
· Diptheria
· Tetanus
· Pertussis
· Hepatitis B
· Hib
· Influenza
· Polio
· Varicella (chickenpox)
· Pneumococcal Disease
· Hepatitis A

In Georgia, The Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS), allows health care providers across the state to update and exchange immunization information about their patients' in a secure and confidential manner. It does this while providing an accurate picture of immunization rates for health districts, counties, and the state. Use of the Registry decreases the occurrence of over-immunization due to inability to locate past records by interfacing with immunization information systems within the state and with other states. It also assists healthcare providers to issue reminders to patients for pending immunizations and issuing of notices to patients with overdue immunizations.

Parents who are unsure of their child's immunization status can contact their local health department, or their health care provider to determine if vaccines are needed.

District 4 Public Health serves Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson Counties.

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