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A resolution recognizing August 2021 as "National Immunization Awareness Month" in Nashville and Davidson County.
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WHEREAS, August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), an annual observance to highlight the importance of disease prevention through vaccination across the lifespan; and
WHEREAS, vaccines are one of the most powerful and successful public health interventions at improving health and increasing life expectancy; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that vaccines still save between 2.5 and 3 million lives worldwide every year; and
WHEREAS, vaccines protect not only those who receive them, but also those who are too medically frail or otherwise unable to receive the vaccinations themselves; and
WHEREAS, vaccines have contributed to a significant reduction in many childhood infectious diseases such as diphtheria and measles, and some infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox, have been eliminated in the U.S. because of vaccines; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calculates that vaccination of each U.S. birth cohort according to the current immunization schedule yields a net savings of nearly $14 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in total costs to society; and
WHEREAS, vaccination rates have dipped below optimum in some pockets of the United States, leading to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and unnecessary suffering; and
WHEREAS, according to the CDC, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the U.S. health care system's ability to provide routine preventative and other non-emergency care which also caused a decline in vaccinations in children under two years old; and
WHEREAS, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent rise in highly contagious variants, it is vital now more than ever to raise awareness and highlight the importance and effectiveness of vaccines; and
WHEREAS, the Metro Board of Health and the Metro Public Health Department have maintained consistent and strong vaccination outreach ...
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