Minnesota Officials Hit Road To Advocate Vaccinations

St. CLOUD  (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Health is taking its message about the importance of immunizing infants and children on the road Monday.

Officials will join with health care providers and parents for events in St. Cloud and Minneapolis to talk about the importance of vaccinations, and tell the stories of children harmed by diseases that can be prevented by immunizations.

The programs will be at 9:30 a.m. at the CentraCare Health Plaza in St. Cloud and at 1 p.m. at the Whittier Community Clinic in Minneapolis.

Speakers at both events will include Shannon Duffy, a Sleepy Eye parent whose child died from a likely complication from chicken pox, and Kristen Ehresmann, director of infectious diseases for the Minnesota Department of Health.

This is National Infant Immunization Week.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.