Ashley Dueck is a nurse and while she has seen the effects of some preventable diseases in the course of her work, it’s not the major reason that she chose to immunize her two children.

“As a mother, the number one reason is that I want to protect my children and, secondly, I want to protect the vulnerable (such as newborns) who can’t be vaccinated yet, or sick babies, and people with compromised immune systems,” she says.

Although Dueck says she respects a person’s right to make a personal choice about vaccination for themselves and their children, her biggest hope is that it’s an informed one. “People need to check the source of their information because anyone can put anything on the Internet and that is one of the main tools we are using these days for information,” she says. “People need the facts because I believe that some people may be basing their decisions about immunization on fear and misinformation.”

“Vaccinations are there to protect the born and the unborn, and I feel it’s a privilege to have them available,” she says. “I feel they are a part of my responsibility to help others stay well.”

Immunization has been one of the most successful public health interventions in the last 50 years. It protects individuals and communities by preventing the spread of disease. As more people are immunized, the disease risk for everyone is reduced.

“Routine immunizations significantly reduce illness, death, and the spread of preventable diseases. Unfortunately, vaccine-preventable diseases continue to pose a risk to public health in Canada and around the world, especially in places where immunizations rates have fallen”, says Dr. Michael Routledge, Medical Officer of Health – Southern Health-Santé Sud. “One example is measles, a disease that can spread very easily from person to person, especially to those who are not immunized or who are unable to be immunized due to medical conditions.”

Besides giving personal protection from disease, vaccination is a social investment, says Routledge. “Vaccines provide a community health benefit that’s invisible until you see an outbreak that results from low immunization rates. Vaccines reduce the number of non-immune or vulnerable people to an infectious organism so that it doesn’t spread as easily. That’s particularly important for people who are not healthy enough to develop immunity, or for infants who are too young to be able to do that. For every $1 spent on measles/mumps/rubella vaccine for children, the cost saving to the health care system is $16. That is a return on investment!”

Don’t Get Complacent About Immunization
Immunization rates tend to trend downwards over time as disease rates drop (often thanks to the vaccine!), and people who have never seen the disease (ex. Polio) start to wonder if they still need to vaccinate. But people shouldn’t get complacent about immunization, says Bev Unger, Regional Manager - Public Health-Healthy Living for Southern Health-Santé Sud. “When vaccines first came out, people lined up to be immunized because they‘d seen the consequences of not being protected. Now we’re seeing the positive consequences of successful vaccine programs. But if we stopped immunizing, we would see a resurgence of a disease very quickly.”

Immunization is not mandatory in Manitoba, and parents have the right to make an informed choice about immunizing their child. “Unfortunately in our region, we do see vaccine hesitancy among some people that is based on questionable sources of information,” says Routledge. “So we need to continue to provide education to ensure the public has all the evidence-based information they need to make the best choices for themselves, their family, and their community.”

Better, More Effective Vaccines
The provincial immunization schedule is based on national and international recommendations and is constantly being reviewed to ensure it provides Manitobans with the optimal protection from vaccine preventable diseases. New vaccines have been added to the list of vaccines covered by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living in recent years, such as the HPV vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus which can cause some forms of cancer. Improvements in science and technology mean that vaccines are only continuing to improve on their already high quality and effectiveness. “The vaccines we have today are extremely safe and effective,” says Routledge. “But we need to continue to monitor and evolve our immunization programs because vaccine-preventable diseases haven’t gone away, and new ones are always on the horizon.”

Where can I get myself, or my child, immunized?
Physicians, public health nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurses and nurse practitioners administer vaccines in public health offices, nursing stations, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, primary care clinics. So if you ever have any vaccine-related questions, please contact your local health care provider for advice and access to vaccinations.

Some people also choose to vaccinate against diseases that could pose a risk to them because of travel, their occupation, or for other reasons, but which are not part of the provincial immunization schedule. These vaccines are also safe and effective, however the cost is typically not covered by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living. Your local health care provider is a great resource for questions on these vaccines.

For additional information on immunizations, please visit; A Parent's Guide to Vaccination, Immunization Manitoba and Immunize Canada; talk to your doctor or public health nurse; or call Health Links-Info Santé at 1-888-315-9257.