Less people immunized means more risk of infectious disease outbreaks.

• A 95 percent vaccination rate will protect a community against outbreaks.

Vaccines are a life-changing invention.

• Vaccines provide immunity against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, whooping cough and other contagious diseases like meningitis.
• We can prevent serious disease complications that include blindness, paralysis, infertility and brain injury.

Getting vaccinated is how we protect ourselves and others who are vulnerable.

• Most deaths from whooping cough are infants too young for the vaccine.
• To protect fragile infants before they can receive vaccines, we must be immunized ourselves.
• Chemotherapy patients may be unable to receive vaccines and are at risk if exposed to infectious diseases when their immune systems are weakest.
• People with weakened immune systems need the help of others for protection.

Our immunization rates are now dangerously low.

• For some public and private schools in Santa Barbara County, vaccination rates are as low as 50 percent.
• High rates of whooping cough and chickenpox have impacted our community during the last year.

Vaccines safety is closely monitored

If you are a parent of a young child, chances are you were vaccinated.

There is no link between autism and vaccination.

Most side effects are minor, including tenderness at injection site and low fever.

Delaying vaccines or spacing them out is not beneficial

It increases the time children will be susceptible to serious diseases.

Extra appointments for shots create additional stress for a child.

Being fully vaccinated with all recommended doses is critical to providing immunity.

Getting the vaccines is safer than getting the disease

Two in a thousand people who get measles will die from the disease.

One in a million will have a severe allergic reaction from the vaccine.

Talk to your doctor or your school nurse

Ask questions.

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