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It's immunization awareness week soon. Can we get a few converts please?

Fresh off the 27 th case of the measles in B.C. – with an infected person strolling around Burnaby’s Lougheed Town Centre for a few hours on Sunda y – comes National Immunization Awareness Week.
vaccination

Fresh off the 27th case of the measles in B.C. – with an infected person strolling around Burnaby’s Lougheed Town Centre for a few hours on Sunday – comes National Immunization Awareness Week.

This special week runs April 20 -27, with special efforts being made to – once again – remind people of the importance of vaccinated, and the safety and effectiveness of said vaccinations in halting the spread of infectious.

London Drugs has announced a program aimed at boosting vaccinations both here and abroad.

For every vaccination administered this week at any London Drugs pharmacies in B.C., a second lifesaving vaccine will be donated to UNICEF Canada through I Boost Immunity to immunize a child in another country.

About 100 years ago, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death worldwide. Today, in Canada, those diseases now cause less than five per cent of all deaths, according to a news release, thanks largely to immunization programs in all provinces and territories.

With that said, vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles have been making a resurgence in recent months and London Drugs pharmacists are hoping to reinforce the importance and success of immunizations during National Immunization Awareness Week, which also coincides with Vaccination Week in the Americas and World Immunization Week.  

“By getting vaccinated at London Drugs, British Columbians can play an active role in helping to protect tens of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable children from vaccine-preventable diseases,” says Shannon Turner, executive director of the Public Health Association of B.C. “Our goal is to increase awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated and to improve immunization rates both here in Canada and across the globe.”

Patients can call the London Drugs pharmacy nearest them to book an appointment to have a vaccination administered. Appointments for Travel Immunization Clinics can also be booked online. For every vaccine administered at any London Drugs location in B.C. between April 20-27, a second vaccine will be donated to immunize a child in another country.