As the 20th anniversary of National Infant Immunization Week comes to a close, Judi Van Hulzen, with Marion County Public Health, tells KNIA KRLS News that every year thousands of children in the U.S. become ill from diseases that could have been prevented by childhood immunizations. Routine childhood immunization in one birth cohort prevents about 20 million cases of disease and about 42,000 deaths. It also saves about $13.5 billion in direct costs.Ensure all children are fully protected from vaccine preventable diseases through immunization.