Protect Yourself and Your Community with Vaccinations
Vaccines help protect your health. They are the best defense against serious illness and lasting complications from common viruses.
In addition to getting vaccinated, people working with young children can encourage families to talk to their health care providers about the routine vaccinations children need to protect them against serious diseases.
Vaccines for Respiratory Viruses (Viruses that infect your breathing system)
The fall and winter seasons bring increased respiratory illness caused by viruses like influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These respiratory illnesses can cause severe disease, hospitalization, and even death and young children are at a higher risk of getting very sick. In fact, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States. Although these viruses are most common in the fall and winter, they can circulate at other times of the year as well. Vaccines provide the best protection against serious illness.
Routine Vaccines for Children
There are several serious diseases, such as measles and whooping cough (pertussis), that can spread easily and pose significant risks to young children. Vaccines are the most effective way to protect against these diseases, and the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a specific vaccination schedule to help keep children healthy.
Learn more about vaccines:
Strengthen Your Community Partnerships with the Collaborating for Child Well-being Toolkit! Designed for Local Health Departments and Early Care and Education organizations, this resource offers practical tools and strategies to create and sustain impactful collaborations. Whether you’re starting fresh or enhancing an existing partnership, the toolkit provides step-by-step guidance, customizable templates, and real-world examples to support every stage—from assessing readiness to evaluating outcomes.
Take Action
Make a plan to get vaccinated this fall.
- Encourage families to talk to their health care providers about routine vaccines that will help keep their children healthy. Share this resource:
- The Childhood Vaccine Quiz provides a list of vaccines a child may need, the recommended vaccines schedule, information about why on-time vaccinations are important and answers to common questions.
- Partner with your local health department and child care resource organizations.
- Visit the National Association of County and City Health Officials Directory of Local Health Departments to find a health department in your area.
- Find your local child care resource organization at CCR&R Search – Child Care Aware® of America.
- In addition to vaccines, learn how to protect your early care and education program from infections.
- CDC’s Early Care and Education Portal
- NACCHO’s COVID-19 Resource Repository
- Child Care Aware of America’s COVID-19 Resources
- Request more information from Child Care Aware of America, by completing a Technical Assistance request.
Find a Vaccine Location Near You
Visit Vaccines.gov to locate vaccine providers near you.
Your local health department is also a valuable resource in finding available vaccines. Visit the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Directory of Local Health Departments to find a health department in your area.
These agencies play a pivotal role in promoting healthy learning environments. Find your local CCR&R by visiting CCR&R Search – Child Care Aware® of America.
