Welcome  to  public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. August  is  National  Immunization  Awareness  Month. As  kids  head  back  to  school, it's  a  good  reminder  for  parents  to  make  sure  that their  children  are  up  to  date  with  their  vaccinations, says  Joan  Patterson,  a University  of  Minnesota  epidemiologist. There  is  a  state  law  that  requires that  children  have  immunizations, a  certain  set  of  them,  before  they  go  to  school, so  they  need  to  be  in  compliance  with  that  law. It's  really  one  of  the  major success  stories  of  public  health, and  how  so  many  diseases  that  used  to take  children's  lives  now  are preventable  by  having  children. Vaccinated  parents  can  seek an  exemption  from  the  state  law, and  although  there  has  been an  increase  in  such  exemptions, Patterson  says,  Minnesota  still  ranks  above the  national  average  in  the  percentage  of children  who  are  current  with  their  immunizations. If  you  don't  have  health  insurance or  you'd  like  more  information, contact  your  local  public  health  agency or  the  Minnesota  Department  of  Health. So  if  you're  not  sure  about  where to  take  your  child  for  immunizations, you  could  contact  the  Minnesota  Immunization  Program  at 1800657397  or  if  you  live  in the  greater  metropolitan  area  at  651-201-5503  Judge, with  another  public  health  moment,  I'm  John  Finnegan.