National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder that children need vaccines right from the start.
Parents agree that feeding and sleep schedules are important to help keep their children healthy. The same goes for childhood immunizations. Vaccinating children on time is the best way to protect them from 14 serious and potentially deadly diseases before their second birthday.
“The recommended immunization schedule is designed to offer protection early in life,” said Dr. Jennifer Meyers, a pediatrician at the Family Health Center in Hamilton, “when babies are vulnerable and before it’s likely they will be exposed to diseases.”
Public health and medical experts base their vaccine recommendations on many factors. They study information about diseases and vaccines very carefully to decide which vaccines kids should get and when they should get them for best protection. Although the number of vaccines a child needs in the first two years of life may seem like a lot, doctors know a great deal about the human immune system, and they know that a healthy baby’s immune system can handle getting all vaccines when they are recommended.
Meyers emphasizes that vaccines have changed so much in the past 100 years that even though it may sound like we are giving a lot of shots early in life, the entire birth-to- kindergarten vaccine series all added together still has fewer antigens than the smallpox vaccine that used to be given before smallpox was eradicated from the world. “So although it seems like we are injecting more, we are really injecting less, but able to protect against more,” said Dr. Meyers.
Meyers cautions against parents delaying vaccination.
“There is no known benefit to delaying vaccination,” Meyers said. “In fact, it puts babies at risk of getting sick because they are left vulnerable to catch serious diseases during the time they are not protected by vaccines.”
When parents choose not to vaccinate or to follow a delayed schedule, children are left unprotected against diseases, like measles and whooping cough. In 2014, measles, a disease that had previously been eliminated in this country, was reported in 667 people in the United States. Failure of the population to fully vaccinate against this disease resulted in these reported cases. Staying on track with the immunization schedule ensures that children have the best protection against diseases like these by age two.
Parents who are concerned about the number of shots given at one time can reduce the number given at a visit by using the flexibility built into the recommended immunization schedule. For example, the third dose of hepatitis B vaccine can be given at 6 through 18 months of age. Parents can work with their child’s healthcare professional to determine the best time to give this dose to their child.
To prevent or help lessen injection pain, Dr. Meyers recommends cuddling and positioning the child in the parents’ arms, giving more than one shot at the same time when possible, and for infants, breastfeeding immediately afterward.
If you have questions about the childhood immunization schedule, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse. For more information about vaccines, go to www.healthymadisoncounty.org. The Madison County Health Department holds Immunization clinics each week and appointments may be scheduled online or by phone at 315-366- 2848. Most insurance plans are accepted. Some fees may apply.