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Commissioner O'Dowd to Visit Monmouth County Health Department
Child Immunization Program in Freehold

To kickoff National Infant Immunization Week, April 20-27, Commissioner of Health Mary E. O'Dowd will attend the Monmouth County Health Department's Child Immunization Program on Monday, April 22, at 10 am.  The program is taking place at the Social Services Building., 3,000 Kozloski Road in Freehold.

After the photo opportunity, Commissioner O'Dowd will be available for interviews on the importance of childhood immunizations.

According to the 2011 National Immunization Survey, nearly 80 percent of New Jersey children ages 19 - 35 months received the recommended vaccine doses compared to the national average of 77 percent. These vaccines provide protection against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, Haemophilusinfluenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B and chickenpox. 

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Since 1994, NIIW has served as a call to action for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure that infants are fully immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.

Commissioner O'Dowd is also attending the immunization program to highlight April as National Minority and Multicultural Health Month. 

For more information about NIIW, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/index.html

For more information about the NJ Vaccine Preventable Disease Program, visit: http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp/

For a complete calendar of events celebrating National Minority Health Month, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/health/omh/documents/ommh_calendar.pdf