I know that it can be a heart-wrenching few moments, and even a difficult couple of nights at times, but immunizations are crucial for your baby's health.
With the ongoing controversy that surrounds the mandatory vaccines for children in the US today, it isn't any wonder why there is so much misleading, and some downright incorrect, information floating around on the internet and new lately. But one thing is absolutely certain - Vaccines have, and will continue to, save thousands of lives every year by preventing some of the worst, yet avoidable, infectious diseases.
Understand that even if your baby is very sick, your pediatrician can probably still modify the immunization schedule to meet your circumstances - vaccines are THAT important. Otherwise, if baby is healthy, then baby should get vaccinated on a regular basis.
Though some children do suffer mildly uncomfortable reactions to some vaccines, very few actually become seriously ill or suffer from adverse effect, and most pediatricians will reassure you that the benefits of having the antibodies from the immunizations (needed to fight those nasty infections) far outweigh the risks of any possible reaction your child might have to the shots.
So, from what diseases, exactly, do these shots protect your baby? I've taken some time to cull all the doctor lingo and medical jargon to a simplified, easy to understand list with information straight from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
1. Hepatitis B Vaccine (HepB)
This 3-4 series vaccine prevents Hepatitis B, a chronic liver disease that leads to organ failure and sometimes even cancer. The first dose of this series should be given before your baby is even discharged from the hospital after birth. The second dose would happen between 1 and 2 months of age - usually at your baby's 6-8 week wellness visit. If, for some reason, your baby doesn’t get the vaccine at the hospital (whether there were health reasons involved, or you simply declined to give it at this time), they will require three separate doses -- usually at their first wellness visit post-discharge from hospital, 4-month wellness visit and 6-month wellness visit -- NOTE: The final dosage should be administered no earlier than the 6-month visit for ongoing immunity to be effective.
However, if mom is HepB (HBsAg) positive, baby should get the vaccine - plus a HepB immuno globulin - within 12 hours of birth, then move on to receive the three more doses of vaccine between 9 and 18 months. They should also be tested for HepB and the antibody one to two months after completion of all dosages.
Possible side effects: Brief soreness at injection site and some crankiness can be expected if a mild fever develops.
2. Rotavirus Vaccine (RV)
Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in infants and small children, and can cause severe dehydration if not treated properly. This vaccine, however, is not an injection - it is taken orally.Baby will normally receive this immunization between 2 and 6 months of age, in two to three doses, depending on the brand of vaccine the pediatricians office utilizes.
Possible side effects: Fussiness from stomach discomfort, and some children may present mild, temporary diarrhea or vomiting.
3. Diphtheria &Tetanus Toxoids with Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (DTaP)
This immunization is a combo vaccine to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
In the past, diphtheria was a major cause of childhood illness and death. Now, it only presents a few cases a year in the US, thanks to this vaccine. It is a serious bacterial infection affecting the mucous membranes of your nose and throat. It typically causes a sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and muscle weakness. But the textbook sign is a sheet of thick, gray matter covering the back of the throat, which can block the airway, causing baby to struggle for breath.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that affects the nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, particularly of the jaw and neck muscles. Tetanus can interfere with the ability to breathe and, ultimately, can lead to respiratory failure. Tetanus is commonly known as "lockjaw," and currently has no cure.
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that is marked by a severe, hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop." Before this vaccine was created, pertussis was considered only a childhood disease. However, whooping cough primarily affects children too young to have completed the full course of vaccinations, as well as teenagers and adults whose immunity has faded. Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but most commonly occur in infants. That's why it's so important for pregnant women — and other people who will have close contact with an infant — to be vaccinated against whooping cough regularly as the season approaches.
Baby will receive this vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, then again between 15 and 18 months, and lastly between 4 to 6 years.
Possible side effects: Tenderness, swelling, & redness at injection site; mild to moderate (and rarely severe) fever; loss of appetite within two days of receiving the shot. Out of all the vaccines, this is the most common one that leads to allergic reactions. Many adults opt not to receive any further boosters once the initial doses are completed.
4. Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Conjugate Vaccine (Hib)
“Hib” disease, which you probably haven’t heard of, is VERY harmful. Hib was once the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children before this vaccine was created. Children diagnosed with Hib can suffer permanent brain damage & cause life-threatening illnesses, such as meningitis, which affects the brain; epiglottitis, which affects the throat and can lead to death by self-suffocation; pericarditis, which affects the lining of the heart; pneumonia, which affects the pockets in the lungs; and septic arthritis, which affects the bones and joints. Baby will received this vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, then lastly between 1 year and 15 months.
Possible side effects: Fever, redness and/or tenderness at the site of the injection.
5. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacteria which leads to pneumonia, can be serious and even lead to death. It can cause blood infections, ear infections, meningitis and bacterial pneumonia in children. This vaccine protects children for their first three years, when they are at their most vulnerable to the disease. Baby will receive this vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, and will be given a booster given between 1 year and 15 months.
Possible side effects: Low-grade fever, redness, tenderness at injection site
6. Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV)
Poliomyelitis (Polio) was once a widespread epidemic that killed and paralyzed thousands of people. Polio is a contagious viral infection that, in its most severe form, causes paralysis, difficulty breathing, and sometimes death. In the U.S., the last case of naturally-occurring polio was diagnosed in 1979. Today, despite a concerted global eradication campaign, poliovirus continues to affect children and adults in many Asian & African countries. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises taking precautions to protect against this virus, if you're traveling anywhere there's a risk of polio. Immunity after a booster dose, you may opt to receive in adulthood, lasts a lifetime. Baby will receive this vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years.
Possible side effects: Soreness or redness near the site of injection; an allergic reaction to certain ingredients in the vaccine very rarely occurs
7. Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (Flu shot)
The flu - which, according to the CDC, is more dangerous to children than the common cold, has several strains included in each yearly vaccine (H1N1, H3N2 and the influenza B virus). Baby should begin receiving this vaccine annually, from age 6 months upward.
Possible side effects: Fever, aches, soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given
8. Measles, Mumps & Rubella Vaccine (MMR)
Measles, mumps and rubella are dangerous diseases that can cause rashes and fevers and that can lead to serious conditions like pneumonia, meningitis, seizures and deafness. Baby should receive one dose at 12 to 15 months and a second booster dose at 4 to 6 years.
Possible side effects: Mild rash, slight fever, joint aches, swelling in neck and salivary glands a week or two after receiving the shot. Of all the vaccines, this one is the most likely to cause a fussy, feverish baby for the first 24 hours.
9. Varicella Vaccine
Varicella, commonly known as Chicken pox, does not always prevent the illness, as some people that get the vaccine may still get chicken pox, but it’s usually very mild and the recovery time is faster than naturally contracting the virus. The risks of chicken pox are fever and a severe rash that can last up to 3 weeks. Complications from chicken pox include a bacterial infection of the skin, swelling of the brain, and pneumonia. Many states now require children to get the vaccine before entering school because of these adverse effects. The vaccine is now recommended because it results in shorter and milder illness if your child does get chicken pox and less time missed from school - plus it prevents against those severe infections. Youre child will normally received the first dose at 1 year to 15 months and a second dose at 4 to 6 years.
Possible side effects: Soreness or swelling at the injection site, mild fever, rash, & uncommonly onset of chicken pox in mild form.
10. Hepatitis A Vaccine (HepA)
This protects against Hepatitis A, a disease that causes liver inflammation. Young children may not have symptoms, so often the disease is not recognized until the child’s caregiver becomes ill themselves. Baby will commonly receive the first dose at 1 to 2 years and a second dose six months after.
Possible side effects: Soreness at the injection site, headache, loss of appetite, tiredness
11. Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Quadrivalent (MCV4)
Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis & blood infections. Infants younger than one year old and college freshmen who live in dormitories are most susceptible, due to vulnerable immune systems & communal living, respectively. The vaccine protects against this bacterial disease.
It is recommended for high-risk children between the ages of 9 months to 2 years old to get two doses. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 years old (the first at 11 or 12 years and a booster at 16 years). Most universities require this vaccine before enrollment is completed.
Possible side effects: Redness and soreness at the injection site; very few people can develop a fever.
I hope this enlightens you to the required vaccine schedule for your child - as I remember having many questions about this as a new parent. The bottom line, to me, states that vaccines are not dangerous, volatile poisons made from dead babies & mercury. They are life-saving medicines that allow us to remain one of the countries with the lowest mortality rates from these above illnesses.
Do the right thing - vaccinate your babies if they are medically stable, and continue the cycle of keeping this country free from these infectious diseases!
No comments:
Post a Comment