By Deasia Lamar, Communications Intern 

Vaccinations are a powerful tool to prevent the spread of sickness and disease. Amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care consumers are becoming hesitant to receive routine vaccination for fear of coronavirus exposure. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, elective procedures and vaccinations in the U.S. have decreased drastically according to the National Foundation for Infectious Disease (NFID), with some vaccine demands decreasing up to 95 percent.  

Without routine vaccinations, our nation’s health care infrastructure is at risk of strain from outbreaks of other preventable infectious diseases along with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has launched a national campaign entitled “Keep Up the Rates” to help spread awareness and encourage vaccinations. The National Health Council (NHC), along with over 70 other supporting public health organizations, join the national campaign to help protect communities from the spread of infectious disease. View the NFID Keep Up the Rates campaign by clicking here. 

According to the CDC, vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect your health. Infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable to infectious disease. It is especially important for patients with chronic diseases to remain up–to–date with vaccinations. Vaccinations help reduce risk of contracting serious infectious disease, which can cause complications for patients with chronic conditions.