Vaccines Help Keep Your Kids Healthy and Happy

Vaccine Shot Doctor

Healthy foods, mental stimulation, and physical activity are necessary for maintaining your child’s health. But, nothing will prepare them for cutting loose with their friends on the playground like the right vaccines!

Whether you have a newborn or a toddler in tow, it’s so important to keep your little one healthy! But, there’s more to it than just giving your children the right vitamins, nutrients, and activity. You’ll need to make sure you give them the right shots to protect them. Vaccination statistics in the US show that 42,000 lives are saved each year by vaccines, which is 3 times more than seat belts! As a result, getting the right vaccines for children is an important part of their well-being.

Vaccines Help Keep Your Kids Healthy and Happy

What Are the Benefits of Vaccines?

Since vaccines can help to inoculate both children and adults against illness, it’s important not to underscore their value. After all, the rise of cases in preventable diseases like whooping cough and measles shows why they are necessary. For example, in 1921 approximately 15,000 Americans died from diphtheria. However, between 2004 and 2014 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported only two cases, meaning that vaccinations work!

Many children cannot get certain shots when they are young, which means that it’s important for others to be vaccinated. Children who don’t have the correct vaccination may not be able to enter school or a nursery. Fortunately, health care often covers the cost of many vaccines to alleviate the financial burden on parents.

Are Vaccines Safe?

In recent years, there has been a lot of controversy around vaccinations. Whether it’s fever or swelling, there can be side effects associated with baby shots that are unsettling for some. Much of the vaccine controversy stems from the belief that diseases like autism are linked to vaccinations.

However, the preservative thimerosal which was thought to cause this has not been present in vaccines for many years. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine also denied any relationship between vaccinations and autism. Vaccines involve injection with a weakened form of the virus but they are regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). In addition, multiple vaccinations have also been a concern for many parents. Fortunately, they can actually make it easier on the kids and there is no increased health risk.

Vaccines Help Keep Your Kids Healthy and Happy

What Is the Vaccination Schedule for Children?

When it comes to your kids, following an infant immunization schedule is important to ensure their well-being. You may even want to share the vaccination schedule CDC provides with other parents on FamilyApp! While your doctor may suggest additional shots, the following vaccines are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Birth to 6 Months

  • Hepatitis B – Babies receive the second dose 1-2 months after the first one.
  • Diphtheria, Tetanus & Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (DTaP)
  • Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine
  • Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
  • Rotavirus Vaccine

After 6 Months

  • Haemophilus Influenzae Type B – A third dose of this may be necessary.
  • Rotavirus Vaccine – A third dose of this may be necessary.

After 12 Months

  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine (MMR)
  • Chickenpox (varicella) Vaccine

At 11-12 Years

  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine – Kids as early as nine years old can get them.
  • Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine – A booster dose is recommended at 16 to prevent meningitis

Your kids might not like it, but following the vaccination schedule for babies is key to ensure their well-being and overall health. Do you have any expertise with giving your children vaccines? If so, share them with us on social media through our Facebook or Instagram.

And for more family wellness tips and advice check out the Wellness category on FamilyApp.

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