Every August, National Immunization Awareness Month offers an opportunity to recognize one of the most important advancements in children’s health: vaccines. This year, that conversation comes at an especially important moment. As federal health officials review and reconsider recommendations for childhood vaccines, Tennessee families deserve clear, trustworthy information about what is at stake.
Thanks to vaccines, generations of children have grown up healthier, missed fewer days of school and avoided diseases that once devastated families and communities. Illnesses such as polio, measles and whooping cough that once routinely caused severe complications, hospitalization, disability
and death are no longer a daily fear for parents.
Vaccines have made an enormous difference. While they do not prevent every infection, they reduce one’s likelihood of becoming sick, slow the spread of outbreaks and lower the risk of severe illness and complications.
Vaccines have transformed children's health
Every day, our families make decisions to reduce risk, even when no solution offers perfect protection. Seat belts and car seats cannot prevent crashes, but they protect drivers and passengers. Smoke detectors cannot prevent fires, but they provide critical early warnings that save lives. When the health and safety of our families are on the line, we do not demand perfection. We value the protection that works.
Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have for managing risk and protecting ourselves, our families and our communities. When vaccination rates are high, there are fewer opportunities for disease to spread. That provides an additional layer of protection for those in our communities who need it most, including infants too young to be vaccinated, cancer patients undergoing treatment and others who may not be able to develop a strong immune response.
Protecting communities means protecting the most vulnerable
The success of vaccination can make it easy to forget the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases, but when immunization rates decline, these illnesses can regain a foothold. Recent outbreaks of measles across the country, including cases in Tennessee, serve as a reminder that maintaining our progress is essential.
Since the benefits of vaccination extend beyond the individual, public policy plays an important role in protecting community health. Effective policies depend on clear, trustworthy guidance from medical and public health experts. Families should feel empowered to bring questions about vaccines to trusted healthcare providers.
Pediatricians, family physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals can help parents understand which vaccines are recommended, how they work, and what benefits and potential side effects to expect.
Decades of scientific evidence demonstrate that vaccines reduce the risk of many preventable diseases. Before vaccines are recommended for children, they undergo extensive testing for safety and effectiveness. Ongoing safety monitoring continues after approval, giving parents additional information to weigh the well-established benefits and potential risks.
Tennessee families continue to support childhood vaccination
In Tennessee, the overwhelming majority of parents trust vaccines to protect their children against serious illnesses. ANov. 2025 statewide survey found that Tennessee voters overwhelmingly support strong vaccine policies, and a majority believe that vaccines against illnesses such as measles, polio and diphtheria are essential.
The Tennessee Department of Health’s annualKindergarten Immunization Survey reflects that broad support for childhood vaccination, with more than 90% of Tennessee kindergartners remaining up to date on required vaccinations.
Protecting children’s health is a responsibility we all share.
Vaccines cannot eliminate every risk, but decades of evidence show they prevent illness, reduce serious health consequences and keep communities safer. As policymakers at every level consider the future of childhood immunization, the standard should be simple: Follow the evidence, listen to medical professionals, keep vaccines accessible and ensure every Tennessee family has the opportunity to protect their children and their community.
Emily Delikat lives in Franklin, Tenn., with her family. She serves as a public health surveillance officer and directs Tennessee Families for Vaccines.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Childhood immunization helps keep Tennessee families safe | Opinion
