Saddleback Valley Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 14

Youth SOCIAL CLASSES Love Them, Protect Them, Immunize Them. August is National Immunization Awareness Month, but keeping your family protected from 14 dangerous diseases (some potentially deadly), is an easy, life-long preventive care program. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend that every child who can be immunized should receive the full complement of vaccinations on the recommended schedule. It is also important for teens and adults to have all the recommended immunizations as well. We know that vaccines have contributed to a significant reduction in many childhood diseases, such as diphtheria, measles, and whooping cough (pertussis). Other diseases, such as polio and smallpox, have been eliminated in the United States due to effective vaccines. It is now rare for children in the United States to experience the devastating and often deadly effects of these illnesses that were once common. Because immunization programs of the 20th century were so successful, many of today’s parents have never seen the diseases. If parents choose not to vaccinate themselves or their children, the diseases that are now rare or non-existent in this country may resurface. A couple of the diseases that recently reappeared in near epidemic levels, are measles and whooping cough, both of which are preventable with the use of vaccines. Are Vaccines Safe? Reliable, independent scientific studies show that vaccines are safe. For more information on the safety of vaccines, please visit www.cdc.gov. Herd Immunity - Protecting Everyone “The opportunity for the re-introduction of diseases increases when the number of unvaccinated people in any community dips below a certain critical level. As we have seen recently with whooping cough and measles, when immunization rates are low, just one infected person can start a modern-day epidemic,” says Marnie Baker, MD, pediatrician with MemorialCare Medical Group. “For very young babies, pregnant women, older adults, and children and adults who for medical reasons cannot be vaccinated, it becomes important for others to be immunized to help protect them. This is called “Herd Immunity.” As a flock of sheep or a herd of cows will surround the most vulnerable of their herd to stave off predators, that’s what we as a community should do for our most at-risk members. The more people vaccinated, the lower the risk of spreading the disease. For more information about immunizations including links to reliable resources and other useful information, visit our MemorialCare.org/MedicalGroup/Services/Immunizations or talk to your child’s physician. Remember: It’s Wise to Immunize. MemorialCare Medical Group, a member of MemorialCare Health System, is an award winning team of healthcare professionals consisting of over 180 physicians dedicated to providing quality compassionate care to over 130,000 patients in Orange and Los Angeles counties. With multiple locations throughout the Southland, MemorialCare Medical Group offers a broad scope of multi-specialty services including primary care, specialty and ancillary care, laboratory and radiology services and urgent/prompt care. MemorialCare.org/MedicalGroup Glee Team Stars Singing Singing Pre-Glee Introduce your son/daughter to a world of music through our exciting singing class. Your son/daughter will learn music basics such as rhythm, notes, and dynamics through singing, dancing, and musical instruments. Each class will finish with a “mini-show”, where your little one can feel what it is like to sing on a stage. Parents are welcome to watch the entire class. Location: Glee Music Academy 25 Spectrum Pointe Dr. #406, Z