OTHELLO — There are certain times of the year when immunizations are especially on our minds. One such time is when we are about to send our children back to school.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids lately,” said Annie Coronado, Columbia Basin Health Association physician’s assistant.

Coronado is a family practice medical provider who treats patients at 14th Avenue Medical Center and the Othello Family Clinic.

“We start protecting our babies when they are tiny. We continue to work closely with the parents as the child grows to ensure they are adequately immunized along the way,” she said.

National Immunization Awareness Month is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and is held in August every year to stress the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.

“Kids grow up quickly. Before long, we are sending them off to college,” Coronado said.

This opens up a whole new world of risk. Communal living spaces, sometimes less-than-sanitary conditions and irregular sleeping habits all can leave students vulnerable to disease.

“Prevention is the answer,” Coronado said. “Keeping in mind that every person will have a different situation, there are two vaccines that many colleges strongly recommend – meningitis and hepatitis B.”

Hepatitis B is a blood-borne infection, but it can also be transmitted through sexual activity. The disease can have long-term liver consequences.

“We also want to make sure college bound kids have received the combined tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine,” Coronado said.

Pregnant women are also at risk. It is recommended that pregnant women, or women who plan to become pregnant, should be vaccinated for hepatitis B and German measles (rubella), both of which can be passed from a mother to her child in utero.

Vaccinations are also needed for whooping cough and influenza, which can pose serious risks during pregnancy and after giving birth. Healthy adults should not become complacent about their need for vaccinations for their continued good health.

“Ask your medical provider about Tdap (the adult booster for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis),” Coronado said.

In recent years, the United States has experienced a huge wave of whooping cough (pertussis) which can be miserable for the patient and life-threatening to a baby.

“Many times we don’t think about whether we are up to date on our tetanus shots until we cut ourselves on power tools or sustain other serious injuries,” Coronado said.

Older adults face added challenges. Coronado noted that immunizations are available for pneumonia and shingles, an incredibly painful and common disease against which very few eligible people have been vaccinated.

“All of us – young and old – need flu shots. “We keep an up to date record of our patients’ immunizations. We can tell what shots are needed and when,” Coronado said.

To schedule an appointment with Coronado and/or other CBHA medical providers, you may call 509-488-5256.