American Social Health Association April 10, 1997
Contact: Sharon Broom, Public Relations Director 919/361-8416 [email protected]
National Immunization Information Hotline Launched; National Infant Immunization Week Is April 20-26
People with questions about vaccinations can now call the National Immunization Information Hotline, a new toll-free service providing information about vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations to protect against them. The hotline is operated by the American Social Health Association under contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Immunization Program.
Hotline counselors, who began serving callers on March 17, are preparing for increased calls during National Infant Immunization Week, April 20-26.
The hotline is expected to answer 52,000 calls each year on its English service (800/232-2522) and 5,200 calls annually on its Spanish service (800/232-0233).
Callers can receive information about 12 vaccine-preventable diseases: chicken pox (varicella), diphtheria, haemophilus influenza type B (Hib), hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, pneumococcal disease, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis).
The hotline gives information on who should be immunized, when to be immunized and sites where vaccines are available. It also offers free publications.
Hotline hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Mary Stuart, hotline director, said the service's most vital role is encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated on time. According to the CDC, one-fourth of children in the U.S. have not been fully immunized against childhood diseases.
"One of parents' most common misconceptions is that vaccinations are necessary only when a child is old enough for school," Stuart said. "In fact, children need 80 percent of their vaccinations before they are two years old. Most child care providers and schools will not accept children who have not completed the necessary vaccinations.
"Some parents assume that childhood vaccines are no longer important because diseases such as measles are not as common as they once were," Stuart continued. "However, immunizations are responsible for the decline of these diseases. When parents stop having their children immunized, new outbreaks occur."
For example, she said, a major cause of the measles epidemic of 1989-91 was the failure to vaccinate children against measles at 12 to 15 months of age. The epidemic infected more than 55,000 Americans, accounting for about 11,000 hospitalizations and 120 deaths.
The immunization hotline also answers questions about recommended vaccinations for adolescents and adults.
The new hotline joins the National AIDS Hotline (800/342-2437) and National STD Hotline (800/227-8922) as toll-free services operated by ASHA under contract with CDC. These hotlines answer more than 1.2 million calls each year. # # # #
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