Thursday, September 26, 2019

Get Ready Mailbag: Should I worry about vaccines?

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you! Have a question you want answered? Send an email to getready@apha.org.

My child just started school and is required to be up-to-date on vaccines. I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media lately warning of the dangers of vaccines. Should I be concerned?

We understand your concern. After all, we all want the best for our children. With so much information — and sometimes incorrect information — available today, it can be hard to know who to trust. The bottom line is: Vaccines are safe.

There is a 1 in a MILLION chance of getting a serious reaction to a vaccine. Vaccines are studied and constantly monitored by scientists to make sure they’re safe. You may have read that vaccines cause autism, but scientific studies have continually disproven this.

Vaccinating your child is critical to protecting them against dangerous, possibly deadly, diseases. These can include the flu, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal disease and pertussis (also known as whooping cough).

Check out Get Ready's video on herd immunity:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarcDwj03-0&t=5s
Getting their shots also helps protect their classmates, friends, relatives and others in the community. This is because vaccines work based on something called herd immunity. When enough people are vaccinated, the entire community is less likely to get sick. Researchers have found that for a very contagious disease, like measles, it takes 90-95 percent of the population to be vaccinated to protect the entire community.

We hope this information helps to put your mind at ease. You can find out what vaccines your child needs by speaking with their doctor. You can review CDC’s recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule. If your child has missed any vaccines, your healthcare provider can use the catch-up immunization schedule to get them back on track.

Remember: Vaccines aren’t just for kids. As a parent or caregiver, make sure you’re caught up on your shots too. That way you don’t pass along diseases to young children. You can find out more about by reviewing the CDCs adult immunization schedule.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Get Ready Day: the perfect day for preparedness!


Get ready…Get set…Get ready some more…because it’s almost Get Ready Day at APHA!

This year we will be celebrating APHA’s Get Ready Day on Sept. 17! September is National Preparedness Month, which means it’s the perfect time to raise awareness of preparedness and make sure you’re ready for anything from hurricanes and tornadoes to mosquitoes and measles!

Whether you’re just getting started with preparedness or you’re a preparedness pro, you’ve been preparing all your life, here are a few basic tips and refreshers on how to be prepared for any emergency:



Preparing for emergencies is low-risk and high-reward! It can be quick, easy and cost-effective to do. And it could make a huge difference when a disaster strikes. Join us this year on Get Ready Day to start taking these easy steps to keep you, your family and your community safe and healthy in the face of disasters and other hazards.

We encourage you to help us promote preparedness and share information by posting any of our free fact sheets on your social media accounts using the #GetReadyDay hashtag, printing them for the office or campus bulletin boards or by hanging them around your community!

Get Ready fact sheets are available in English and Spanish. You can even add your organization’s logo!

We hope you’ll join our celebration on Sept. 17! Happy Get Ready Day!