Infectious Diseases A-Z: Importance of childhood vaccines

Childhood immunizations are an important part of ensuring infants, children and adults are protected from life-threatening infectious diseases. "We know that we have vaccine-preventable diseases that we’ve dramatically reduced with the routine vaccines that we provide children and adults," says Dr. Robert Jacobson, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic .

"In fact, we can measure the benefits in billions of dollars and in lives saved and hospitalizations prevented, office visits prevented. Vaccinations are providing a huge benefit to the public. In fact, on review of all of the public health initiatives over the 20thcentury, vaccines came in as number one of all the public health interventions in terms of making a difference and improving our lives," says Dr. Jacobson.