April 16-23 is National Infant Immunization Week! Immunization (or vaccination) avoids two to three million deaths each year from diseases like tetanus, whooping cough, and measles. Learn the benefits of giving your children vaccines in this week's healthy tip.
Vaccines are shots that help your immune system fight off a particular disease. A vaccine usually contains an incgredient that is similar to a particular disease. The vaccine gets the body's immune system to recognize the ingredient as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and fight the disease in the future.
Here are 6 things you need to know about childhood immunizations
1. Your child should be vaccinated. Immunizations protect children from dangerous childhood diseases. Any of these diseases can make them very sick or even kill them.
2. Number of doses your child needs. The following vaccinations are recommended for your child by the time they turn two years old. These can be given over five visits to a doctor or clinic:
- 4 doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTaP)
- 3-4 doses of Hib vaccine
- 4 doses of pneumococcal vaccine
- 3 doses of polio vaccine
- 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine
- 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine
- 1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR)
- 2-3 doses of rotavirus vaccine
- 1 dose of varicella vaccine
- 1 or 2 annual doses of influenza vaccine
Recommended vaccines can also be found in chart form.
3. Small side effects are normal. Like any medicine, vaccines can cause a reaction in your child. Depending on the vaccine, these can include: slight fever, rash, or soreness where the shot was given. Serious reactions are very rare. If you think your child is having a serious reaction, call your doctor or get the child to a doctor right away.
4. You should not wait to vaccinate. Children under five years old are at a higher risk for disease because their immune systems have not been build up enough to fight many infections. By having them vaccinated by age two, you can protect your child from disease and also protect others at their school or daycare.
5. Be sure to track your shots with a health record. A health record helps you and your doctor or nurse keep your child's vaccinations on schedule. If you move or change doctors, having a record might prevent your child from having to repeat vaccinations he or she has already had. A shot record should be started when your child receives his or her first vaccinations and updated with each visit.
6. Some children are eligible for free vaccinations. A federal program called Vaccines for Chidlren provides free vaccines for eligible children, including those without health insurance coverage, those enrolled in Medicaid, and those whose health insurance does not cover vaccines. Find out more here.
More information about vaccines can be found on the CDC webiste or by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or the TTY Service Hotline at 1-888-232-6348.