Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Immunization Levels Across State Are Better Than Ever

Published Wednesday, April 9, 1997 in the Nevada County Picayune

Dr. Sandra B. Nichols, Director

Arkansas Department of Health

In conjunction with National Infant Immunization Week, I am pleased to announce that Arkansas' immunization levels are better than ever!

The goal of having 90 percent of the state's two-year-olds immunized is getting closer all the time, with increasing levels of statewide support. Our children, our state and our nation will bneefit greatly from this effort, by having less illness and better health.

How well are we doing and how is the immunization campaign being promoted?

One year ago, in April of 1996, the Shots for Tots "Mapping the Future Health of Our Children" mural at the State Capitol was unveiled and dedicated for National Infant Immunization Week. On the mural's map of Arkansas, each county or health unit that meets its goal of having at least 90 percent of children properly immunized by the age of two is highlighted in red.

Located on a wall in the hallway leading to the Capitol's cafeteria, the mural is a work in progress with new counties shaded as they reach their goal. Visitors at the Capitol can see the progress of statewide immunization, county by county. When the mural was unveiled, five counties had met the goal. By October, 27 additional counties were shaded. Now, 42 counties are red.

In January, Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee was named honorary chair for the state immunization initiative. Since then, Mrs. Huckabee and I have traveled to several areas of the state promoting the importance of early, age-appropriate vaccinations.

According to Mrs. Huckabee, "Because of increasing awareness and response, I am confident every county will reach the goal. Then, Arkansas children will be well-protected for the future."

Legislation signed by Governor Mike Huckabee in March will help enforce immunization regulatins for daycare centers and allow the addition of new vaccines to the school law.

According to the National Immunization Survery, 74 percent of the state's two-year-olds are age-appropriately immunized. More than 500,000 doses of vaccine were administered by the Health Department last year.

The appeal to have children properly immunized must never let up. Many parents of young children are too young themselves to have seen the epidemics of past decades that sickened, cripled and killed tens of thousands of children nationwide. For example:

Measles. Before the measles vaccine was available in the U.S. in 1963, about 500,000 cases and 500 deaths from measles were reported annually. No cases have been reported in Arkansas since two cases were confirmed in 1995.

Polio. This contgagious viral disease crippled tens of thousands in the 1950's and killed more than a thousand people a year. Polio has been eradicated in the Western Hemisphere.

Pertussis (whooping cough). Prior to the availability of a vaccine, pertussis caused as many deaths as all other contagious diseases combined. For the past five years, there has been an average of twenty cases each year.

These diseases and others have almost been eliminated, because of the continuing efforts of immunization programs. We owe much to the Shots for Tots program, Operation KidCare, and others which are working with us on these issues.

However, much of today's success can be traced back to immunization "pioneers," who began their work decades ago. The beginning of the end of paralytic polio in this country came in 1963 with a national polio vaccination program.]

As polio was brought under control, the Arkansas Department of Health turned its attention to measles and rubella vaccines.

In 1973, because of dangerously low state and national immunization levels, the "Every Child by '74" campaign was launched. Following this successful statewide immunization program, emphasis was placed on continued public awareness and enforcement of school immunization laws.

Arkansas requires that all children attending school be appropriately immunized. Currently, 98 to 99 percent of the state's school children are properly immunized.

Even after the state meets the current goal, complacency should be allowed to set in. Between 1989 and 1991, there were several measles outbreaks in the U.S. Many of the cases and several deaths were in young children who had not received their immunizations at the proper ages.

No medical procedure is more cost-effective or has saved more lives than immunization. We must take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to protect our children.

For more information, contact your local health unit or primary care physician.

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