What are vaccinations?
Vaccinations boost your child’s immune system. At birth, your baby is protected from some diseases due to the antibodies passed to them during pregnancy. Breast milk also offers some protection. Unfortunately, these protections are only temporary, leaving your baby vulnerable to disease.
Vaccinations are shots that help stimulate your baby or child to develop their own antibodies to protect them from illness.
What vaccines are needed?
Vaccines are required at Northlake Children’s Associates. The names of common vaccines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics include:
- Mumps, rubella, measles (MMR)
- Polio
- Chickenpox
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
- Hib
- Hepatitis A and B
- Rotavirus
- Human papillomavirus
- Pneumococcal vaccine
Many of these vaccines are given in combinations to reduce the number of shots administered. While you may want to spread out the shots to minimize your child’s discomfort, your child is better protected when the vaccines are given as scheduled.
The doctors at Northlake Children’s Associates also recommend children get the flu vaccine every year. Because your child’s immune system isn’t as strong as yours, a flu infection can cause more serious complications, such as pneumonia.
Are vaccinations safe?
Yes, vaccinations are safe. The vaccinations offered to your child have undergone years of study to ensure that they’re not only safe, but also effective. Your child may have a mild reaction to a vaccine, such as a low-grade fever or soreness at the site of the injection, but these side effects should resolve quickly.
In addition to being safe, vaccinations protect your child from deadly diseases. They also help protect the children that can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons, such as cancer therapy.
To get answers to all of your questions from a kind and caring team, call Northlake Children’s Associates today or book an appointment online.
