In a time when government is looking to tighten the belt and cut expenses, it is encouraging to see that the children of Appalachia haven’t been forgotten.

And it starts with a partnership.

It was announced Monday that an agreement between the Ironton City Health Department and the Tuscarawas County General Heath district, facilitated by the Ohio Department of Health, will make all needed vaccines for children available at the health department.

As an agency that serves those who are uninsured or underinsured, this program could make a tremendous difference here in Lawrence County by increasing availability and also across the state as more than 7,000 more children will be able to receive vaccinations.

We hope to see more partnerships and programs like this that address a crucial need in our community — the lack of health insurance and affordable health care.

While some critics will try to say that vaccinations have risks associated with them, the reality is that the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Serious diseases that children need vaccinations for include diphtheria, hepatitis, measles, mumps, polio, rotavirus, rubella and others.

The Center for Disease Control may have summed it up best with their educational material.

“We don’t vaccinate just to protect our children. We also vaccinate to protect our grandchildren and their grandchildren. With one disease, smallpox, we ‘stopped the leak’ in the boat by eradicating the disease. … If we keep vaccinating now, parents in the future may be able to trust that diseases like polio and meningitis won’t infect, cripple, or kill children. Vaccinations are one of the best ways to put an end to the serious effects of certain diseases.”

And that is a future of which we can all be proud.