CHENANGO COUNTY – As the back-to-school season quickly approaches, the Chenango County Department of Health says it’s also an ideal time to make sure your children are up-to-date on their vaccines.

In aligning Immunization Awareness Month with other partners nationwide, the county Department of Health has designated August as Immunization Awareness Month in Chenango County.

The goal, according to Mary Klockowski, RN, Immunization Coordinator at Chenango County Health Department, is to highlight the importance of immunizations for people of all ages, and to assure that children returning to school are protected with the proper vaccines.

“Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by CDC’s immunization schedule is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children from serious diseases,” asserted Klockowski.

According to a release on behalf of the Department of Health’s Health Education Division, vaccines are an important protectant against a number of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.