August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Children will be heading back to school soon and pediatricians say this is the perfect time to make sure they're up-to-date on vaccines.

Doctors stress that it's because of vaccines that we don't see widespread diseases anymore, like mumps and polio. And vaccines are for the greater good.

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"It's a community decision - keeping everybody safe. Because there are certain children that cannot get the vaccines, whether they have immune problems, or their bodies cannot respond to the vaccines, I think it's our job as a community to help protect those people and keep our herd immunity," said Dr. Richard So, Cleveland Clinic Children's.

Doctors say parents need to remember that vaccines aren't just for younger children. Adolescents need tetanus boosters and meningitis vaccines, as well as the HPV vaccine.

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