With the recent outbreak of measles in the United States this year, and the two confirmed cases in Iowa, Pella Regional is reminding the public that the best way to prevent measles and other contagious, dangerous, and even deadly diseases is to get vaccinated. Vaccines are important because they protect from serious illness and complications of vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, before the mid-1900s, diseases like whooping cough, polio, measles, and rubella struck hundreds of thousands of infants, children and adults in the U.S., thousands of whom died annually from these illnesses. As vaccines were developed and became widely used, rates of these diseases declined until today most of them are nearly gone from the U.S. If someone in the community gets an infectious disease, he or she can spread it to others who are not immune. For more information on vaccines, Pella Regional encourages the public to talk with their health care provider. They can also visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

“Vaccinations are part of a public health commitment to communities to protect each other by vaccinating and staying up to date.” said Jen Weidenaar, RN, BSN, at Pella Regional Health Center. “By vaccinating we are protecting ourselves as well as family, friends, grandparents and others in the community. By not vaccinating we are risking outbreaks of highly contagious illnesses that are almost unknown to us coming back to the U.S. with severe consequences.”