Continued need for immunizations
Getting immunized is important for at least two reasons: to protect yourself and to protect those around you. A successful vaccination program depends on the co-operation of every person.
Improved sanitation, hygiene, and other living conditions have created a generally healthier environment and reduced the risks for disease exposure and infection in Canada. However, the dramatic and long-term decrease of diseases is primarily a result of widespread immunizations throughout the Canadian population.
Even though some diseases, such as polio, rarely affect people in Canada, all of the recommended childhood immunizations and booster vaccines are still needed. These diseases still exist in other countries. Travellers can unknowingly bring these diseases into Canada and infect people who have not been immunized. Without the protection from immunizations, these diseases could be imported and could quickly spread through the population, causing epidemics. Non-immunized people living in healthy conditions are not protected from disease; only immunizations prepare the immune system to fight the disease organisms.
| Author: | Alison Allen Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: January 29, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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