Interior Health is encouraging families to stay on track with their immunizations as National Immunization Week comes to a close.
Thanks to global efforts, vaccines are available to protect against diseases such as chicken pox, influenza, and more.
In B.C., kids are offered vaccines at the ages of two, four, six, 12, and 18 months. The vaccination process continues as children get older, and begin school.
In grade six, all children can get the HPV shot to protect themselves against infection from types of human papillomavirus that cause certain cancers. These include cervical and mouth cancers.
A study from 2019 showed that the HPV vaccine cut pre-cervical cancer rates in B.C. by over half.
In a media release, Dr. Carol Fenton, Interior Health Medical Officer, said “the covid-19 pandemic has reminded us of how effective vaccines are in preventing serious illness and death.”
For more information on immunizations and vaccines, you can visit their webpage.