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Immunizations, also known as
vaccines, are an important part of health care, integral in preventing potentially serious diseases, most of which can spread to other people. They are one of the most effective medical interventions that we have, but are often taken for granted because they are so effective.
The deadly disease, smallpox, has been completely eradicated by vaccines, and polio will hopefully follow suit soon. Because of vaccines, cases of diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, tetanus, hepatitis B, and bacterial meningitis have decreased dramatically over most of the world, especially in the United States where vaccines are widely used.
There are at least a dozen vaccine-preventable diseases which have the potential to be very serious, require hospitalization, or even be deadly-especially in infants and young children--and most of these can be prevented before your child is even 2 years old.
Children of all ages, from preschoolers to college students, as well as adults need vaccines.
Making sure that children receive all their vaccinations in a timely fashion is one of the most important things parents can do to
help protect the health of their children, the rest of their family, friends, classmates, and the community as a whole.
Click here for the CDCs recommended vaccination schedules for infants and small children, preteens and teens, and adults. The CDC also recommends certain vaccines for travelers and pregnant women.
For more information, please view:
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Keeping kids and teens safe from online predators
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In recent
news, a famous rugby player from the UK found "
vile messages from a predator" on the Roblox game that his 8 year old son played on an iPad.
Like many other sites, games, and online applications for children, the Roblox game has
a chat feature meant for kids to interact with each other when connected to the internet.
Though meant for children, these chat features
allow strangers, regardless of whether the user is a child or an adult, to directly contact and communicate with young kids.
The best thing parents can do to prevent their children from interacting with strangers online is to
consistently monitor their online activities and take appropriate measures to block certain websites and features that might allow strangers to contact your children or teens.
Research shows that
most of the
sexual solicitations children receive online occur while children are at home.
So, parents should take the following steps to
keep children and teens safe online:
Research
shows, children want their parents to talk to them and to listen to them. Show them that no matter what, you want to hear what they think and how they feel.
Have open and honest discussions with your children. Let them know about the potential dangers and give them a chance to tell you how they can be integral in keeping themselves safe.
For more information:
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Laughter: Nature's Medicine for Family Relationships
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Research on families and married couples show that those with stronger, happier relationships laugh more with each other.
Not only does laughter
release stress-relieving hormones into the body and reduce tension. It can also
reduce the chances of having depression and improve creativity and thinking skills.
For tips on strengthening your family's funny bone,
and
please, leave a comment!
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Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from you.
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