Imunization Newsbriefs

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March 14, 2001

“Immunization Effort Could Save Kids’ Lives”

Columbus Dispatch (www.dispatch.com) (03/13/01) P. 1C; Crane,

Misti

Project LOVE—an eight-year-old program designed by Franklin County, Ohio, medical, community, and business officials to boost awareness for needed vaccinations—has decided that its latest effort to reach out to parents will come in the form of reminder cards.  In the county, where the vaccination rate has hovered around 70 percent since 1997, parents of two-month-old babies and parents of children two years old and younger will receive heart-embellished postcards asking that they remember to make sure their children are immunized.  Project LOVE director Jose Rodriguez says he hopes the cards will help raise the vaccination rate to the program’s goal of 95 percent.  Past efforts have been hindered by parents who lack knowledge and often go through the first round of shots without ever following up.  A growing number of parents, despite assurances by the public health community, also fear that vaccines can cause problems such as autism.  Project LOVE’s new postcards will augment the televised public-service announcements and newspaper ads that the organization has been running for months.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.