A Statement from GEEARS about Children’s Health

GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students is committed to listening to Georgia’s families and trusted health care professionals and translating evidence-based insights into policy recommendations for state leaders.

GEEARS believes that all young children should have access to affordable, reliable, and consistent health care that prevents disease, supports early identification and intervention, and promotes lifelong health. As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asserts, vaccines play a critical role in early childhood, when children are most vulnerable to communicable illnesses. In addition to protecting individual children, vaccines help keep child care settings safe by preventing unnecessary outbreaks of preventable diseases. Keeping children healthy and in their classrooms also allows parents to remain at work. Pediatrician-recommended vaccines should remain easily accessible to all children and families.

When crafting Georgia’s vaccine policy, we urge leaders to consider our state’s unique public health landscape, workforce needs, and child care infrastructure. They should tailor those policies, and their implementation, to the particular needs of our rural, suburban, and urban communities. 

Below are statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) addressing recent news related to young children’s healthy development.

• AAP statement on safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy and early childhood
• AAP statement on safety of vaccines 

-Dr. Jay Berkelhamer, GEEARS’ Board of Directors, Vice Chair