Immunization Immunizations are one of the most important tools we have to protect children from a wide range of diseases, including polio, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, tetanus, diph- theria, and pertussis. Without immunizations, a much larger number of children in North America would die each year or live with the chronic effects of these diseases. Immunization coverage can also be an indicator of access to primary health care. In the United States, the proportion of children age 19 to 35 months receiving the recommended schedule of vaccines has increased from 69 percent in 1994 to 82 percent in 2005. 31 Still, many children in the United States are missing.
