Did you know you can help protect your child from potentially deadly diseases? It’s true! With the help of vaccines, your child can be immunized to prevent childhood diseases. It’s currently National Infant Immunization Week and next week is World Immunization Week for an important reason; by getting vaccines we can nearly eliminate deadly diseases!
To some, vaccines can sound scary, painful, or maybe just unnecessary. However, vaccines are very important to your child’s health. Learn more about vaccines and the proper vaccine schedule to know if your child is protected.
What exactly are vaccines?
Defined by Vaccines.gov, a vaccine is “is a product that produces immunity from a disease and can be administered through needle injections, by mouth, or by aerosol.”
Vaccines work by imitating an infection in your body, allowing your immune system to build immunity towards the specific disease that was vaccinated against. The process by which a person becomes protected from a disease is called immunization. Vaccines cause immunization to take place, which is why Infant Immunization Week and World Immunization Week are directly related to vaccines.
What can childhood vaccines protect against?
The following vaccines are suggested for children and adolescents aged 18 and younger by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Rotavirus: Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. It affects mostly babies and young children.
Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis are three bacterial diseases that can be vaccinated against with a single shot.
Haemophilus influenzae type b: H.influenzae is a type of bacteria that can cause infections in people of all ages ranging from mild, such as an ear infection, to severe, such as a bloodstream infection.
Pneumococcal conjugate: Pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria that can spread from person to person through close contact.
Inactivated poliovirus: Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that lives in the throat and intestinal tract.
Influenza: The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs.
Measles, mumps, rubella: Measles causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Mumps causes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen salivary glands. Rubella, causes fever, sore throat, rash, headache, and red, itchy eyes.
Chickenpox/Varicella: Chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It causes a blister-like rash, itching, tiredness, and fever.
Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease.
Meningococcal: Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness caused by the type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. These illnesses are often severe and can be deadly. They include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia).
Human papillomavirus: HPV is a group of more than 150 related viruses. Each HPV virus in this large group is given a number which is called its HPV type. HPV is named for the warts (papillomas) some HPV types can cause. Some other HPV types can lead to cancer.
Pneumococcal polysaccharide: Pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria that can spread from person to person through close contact. It can cause ear infections, and it can also lead to more serious infections.
Properly Scheduling Vaccines
Each of these vaccines should be administered on a schedule that has been designed and approved by the CDC, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
To see a complete list and schedule of childhood vaccines, as released by the CDC, click here.
Learn More about Vaccines
If you’d like to proactively learn more about vaccine options, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer an award winning 64-page guide on childhood diseases and the vaccines that protect children from them.
At the Family Health Clinic, we have specialized Pediatric Nurse Practitioners that would be more than happy to talk to you and your family about scheduling vaccinations to prevent illness. We will work with you to make sure your child is properly vaccinated and protected. To make an appointment, call 1 (800) 321-5043.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/dtap-tdap-vaccine.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/child/rotavirus.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/polio/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/mmr-vaccine.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/hep-a.html
https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/
https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/whatishpv.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/ppv.html
