Most of us probably don’t remember when people regularly died from smallpox or polio. There have been no cases of smallpox anywhere in the world since 1980. Polio has been eliminated in the United States because of vaccination, though it is still a threat in some other countries. Vaccines protect us from many other diseases too, such as tetanus, measles, diphtheria, mumps, and rubella, which used to cause a lot of illness, lifelong disability, and death.
Vaccines have saved more human lives than any other medical invention in history. And they are still the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from preventable diseases. When you get a vaccine, it sparks your immune response to that disease so your body can fight off the disease if you ever encounter it.
Vaccines have been around for centuries, and they are very safe. In fact, the United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in its history. Scientists do rigorous research on vaccines before they are approved for the public. And vaccines are much safer than the diseases they protect people from.
The August Vaccine Resources Toolkit (ZIP) includes materials that can be shared with your groups.
Download Our Vaccine Resources Toolkit (ZIP)
