From car seats and baby gates to bicycle helmets and football
pads, there are numerous ways to protect children as they grow.
One of the most important is getting them vaccinated, says Dr.
Dennis Murray, Infectious Diseases Chief at the Georgia Health
Sciences Children’s Medical Center. “Many life-threatening
diseases are not seen today in the United States because of the
development and implementation of vaccines,” says Murray. “Polio
and smallpox are examples. Other diseases like measles have been
dramatically decreased.” Still, more than 900,000 American
children are not fully immunized, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. As the new school year
approaches, Murray urges parents to understand the value of
immunizations and to be sure their children’s shots are up to
date. He cites four main reasons: 1. Immunizations can save your
child’s life. Advances in medical science enable your child to
be protected against more diseases than ever before. Some
potentially fatal diseases ha