The Rotary Club is providing 100 mini-canvas totes filled with immunization information to Rumford Hospital to give out to new mothers. From the left are Patty Duguay, River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition director; Joette Carlton, Rumford Hospital OB nurse manager; and Angella Roberts, Rotary president.

New moms receiving info on immunizations

RUMFORD – The Rumford Area Rotary Club and the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition is collaborating to provide the River Valley area with information on immunizations.

The funding was provided by the Rumford Area Rotary Club and from the Rotary Foundation Blane Community Immunization Grant. The objective of the grant is to raise awareness of the importance of immunizations at any age.

The club is targeting infants, preschoolers, preteens and adults. The club is providing 100 mini-canvas totes filled with immunization information to Rumford Hospital to give out to new mothers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 20 percent of preschoolers have gone unvaccinated every year for the past three decades.

In addition, the National Network for Immunization Information states that there are several reasons for immunizing the adult population, including some adults never immunized as children, new vaccines that were not available when some adults were children, immunity from some vaccines can begin to fade over time, and as people age, they become more susceptible to serious disease caused by common infections such as influenza and pneumococcus.

To date, 343 Blane grants have been approved for a total of $414,389. Tens of thousands of people across the United States have benefited from the program’s support.

The grants help fund the efforts of local Rotary clubs and districts to educate and immunize residents of underserved communities. Rotary clubs and districts are encouraged to work in conjunction with local health departments, health providers and other community-based organizations.

For more information on immunizations, contact the Healthy Communities at 364-7408.