Immunization Program
Plain Talk About Child Immunizations
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"Plain Talk About Childhood Immunizations", 5th Edition, is also available for free for Washington State residents in hard copy booklet format.
Call WithinReach at 1-800-322-2588 (voice) or 1-800-833-6388 (TTY Relay service) for a copy.
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Check with your doctor, nurse or clinic if you have questions or concerns about immunizations. If you need help finding health care for your child, call WithinReach at the above number. Services are available in many languages.
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Note: Some items on this page are formatted in Adobe Acrobat PDF requiring you to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.
Click here to download and install Reader for free.
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Thank you for your interest in learning more about immunizations. As parents we are asked to make many important decisions concerning our children. Some of the most difficult decisions can be about their health care. To have your child immunized is one of these decisions. We all want to make the right choices and do what is best for our children. As a community, we also need to protect the public's health. We recommend that you have your child immunized, but ultimately the decision is yours. We designed this booklet in response to requests by parents, health care professionals, school nurses, child care providers and others to:
- provide more information about immunizations and the diseases they prevent, much in the same way you look for information on car seats, bicycle helmets, and age-appropriate toys;
- balance the benefits and risks of immunization and assist you in making an informed decision;
- clarify inaccuracies or misinformation about immunizations and vaccine-preventable diseases.
We have arranged the information so you can read each section independently. We use a question and answer format in many areas, but may not have included all the answers you need. We encourage you to discuss these issues with a health care professional or your local health department.
Sincerely,
Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH
Health Officer, Washington State Department of Health
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