National Immunization Week

April 19-26, 2008

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and to focus on the importance of immunizing infants against vaccine-preventable diseases by age two.

This year NIIW will again be held in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization's Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), April 19-26, 2008. The U.S. will join together with 39 countries in the Western Hemisphere to concurrently promote the need for routine vaccinations for infants and children during the last week in April.

Background

Since 1994, NIIW has provided an excellent opportunity for local and state health departments, national immunization partners, healthcare providers, and community leaders from across the country to highlight the positive impact of immunization on the lives of infants and children and to call attention to immunization achievements.

Hundreds of communities from across the United States are expected to participate in NIIW and VWA by planning community awareness and media events to promote infant immunizations to parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, and their communities. Join in the celebration; create your own NIIW event and help to ensure that all children in your community and throughout the Western Hemisphere have a healthy and safe childhood free from vaccine-preventable diseases.

For more information on having, promoting, or reporting an event please visit:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/default.htm#bckgrd