PRESS RELEASE

From the Office of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein 

Date September 6, 2017                       

CONTACT: Mary C. St. Mary/Mary.StMary@Erie.Gov

Phone: 716.858.4941/ Mobile: 716.253.3925 

Vaccines Are Essential for Public Health

Immunizations Halt Spread of Deadly Infectious Diseases

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Vaccination is one of the most important foundations of public. For those individuals most vulnerable to illness and complications--infants and young children, elderly, and those with chronic conditions and weakened immune systems—it may truly be a matter of life and death. 

“There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that vaccines save lives and improve the quality of lives,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health (“ECDOH”), Dr. Gale Burstein. “Vaccines are among the most rigorously tested and safest medical products on the market. It can take 10 or more years and millions of dollars to thoroughly test a new vaccine before it is made available to the public

When children are not immunized, the results can be devastating, including deaths and disablement. Each year, thousands of children in the United States become seriously ill with vaccine-preventable diseases.

“The positive impact of vaccination on the lives of infants is a tremendous public health achievement,” stated Burstein. “Vaccines have saved hundreds of millions of lives over the course of history.” Short of basic sanitation and nutrition, no medical intervention has done more to save lives and prevent disease than immunizations.

For example:

• Hepatitis B vaccines help prevent the leading cause of liver cancer
• Polio vaccine prevented paralysis in 8 million people
• Diseases, once common in the Unites States that severely disabled or killed thousands of children, are now prevented through vaccination

Adults should also receive appropriate vaccines to protect their health, especially seniors. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill and can spread certain illnesses on to others, including newborns who lack a fully functioning immune system.

To learn more about recommended vaccines, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines, speak with your healthcare provider, or call the ECDOH Immunization Clinic (located at Jesse Nash Health Center, 608 William St.,

Buffalo 14206) at (716) 858-7687.

For additional detailed information, please refer to the “Immunization Resources” section at the end of this press release. This flyer can also be found on our website through the link: http://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=ecdoh-immunization-information

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