• This is National Immunization Awareness Month. Why should infants and children be immunized? Infants are born with passive immunity in which antibodies are transported across the placenta during the last 1-2 months of pregnancy. As a result, a full-term infant will have the same antibodies as its mother and will be protected from the diseases to which the mother is immune. These antibodies will protect the infant from certain diseases only temporarily before they degrade. Despite recent advancements in hildhood immunization coverage; more than 20 percent of the nations's two-year-olds are not fully immunized. In 2007, only 84.5 percent of children 19 to 35 months of age had received four doses of the DtaP vaccine. Low income and minority children and adults are at a greater risk for under-imunization. Fears about the risk of autism in vaccinated childfren is another barrier to vaccination. Scientific studies and reviews have found no relationship beween vaccines and autism.

• The Alabama Cooperative Extension System would like to thank Margaret Anderson of The Jacksonville News for her more than 45 years of service, especially for supporting our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. The success of our programs depend on the generous suport of those in our community like Margaret, who takes pride in supporting youth and adult development.

Through the EFNEP program we are able to stress the importance of nutrition and personal development to the people ofmour community.

• The Baker and Blackwell Family Reunion was held in Piedmont. Margarine and Shineta Blackwell also celebrated birthdays. Margarine is 76 years old and Shineta is 47.

• Those on our prayer list include Katie Lewis, Jewell Greer, Phyllis Hardy, Anna Pearson, Angelia Alston, Rudy Sudduth, Wesly Lowe, Roberta Anderson, Emma Jackson, Jasmine McGhee, Margaret (Weaver) Green, Lee Ruth Sanders, Nettie Crumb, Jean Harris, Anna Sims aand George Atkisson.

• The 2010 Eastwood Reunion will be held in December. Please sign up and participate.

• Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, 2125 Peaceburg Road, Jacksonville, will have Rev. George and First Lady Darnell Truss 14th Anniversary Appreciation program on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. Guest speaker will be Rev. Brian Miller of Sycamore Baptist Church in Talladega.

• The First Anniversary of the First Baptist Church Inspirational Choir was held on Aug. 9. Choir members are sopranos Myrus Weaver, Jasmine Jones, Angie Gogins, Emily Lipscomb, Shirley Johnson; tenors Ezell Dickerson and Rev. Jeffery Leonard; bass Pat Garrett; and altos Vannessa Wiggins, Ashley Carter, Tevis Garrett, Glenda Jemison, Mary Cannon, Odessa Dickerson, Barbara Lewis-Fleetion, Brenda Wiggins, Doris Leonard and Juanita Roper.

• Rev. Mark Cooper preached his last sermon at St. Paul CME Church on a Aug. 2. Rev. Cooper has moved to a new church in Birmingham.

We thank him very much for all he did for the Jacksonville community.