Vaccines are good to get before school starts because at school your child will be exposed to many germs that can make him sick. Some of the germs cause illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines.
Recently Answered
-
4 AnswersA
Mercy Health answeredSee All 4 AnswersHere are some general immunization guidelines for children from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
Young children
- Children under age six get a series of shots to protect against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chicken pox, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, rotavirus and hepatitis.
Preteens
- All 11- and 12-year-olds need boosters for some earlier vaccinations plus meningitis and HPV.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about which shots your child needs.
Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.
-
2 AnswersA
See All 2 AnswersChildhood immunization is the use of vaccines (shots) given to protect children from life-threatening, infectious diseases. Immunization is based on the idea that if the body comes in contact with disease-causing germs (usually just bits of the germs, not always a live germ), the body builds up immune cells to later attack it. If the person is later exposed to the disease, the body's immune system recognizes the infection and fights it off. -
4 AnswersA
Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answeredSee All 4 AnswersYour child should receive her first immunization (vaccine) before she leaves the hospital after being born, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first vaccine is an HBV (also called Hep B) shot to protect against hepatitis B. Here's how the CDC recommends children up to 2 years old be immunized after that initial shot:- at age 2 months — a second hepatitis B shot, plus the first doses of DTaP (for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), IPV (polio), PCV (protects against the pneumococcal bacteria that can cause ear infections and other serious infections), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) and RV (rotavirus, the most common stomach virus).
- at age 4 months — additional doses of DTaP, IPV, PCV, Hib and RV.
- at age 6 months — additional doses of DTaP, PCV, Hib and RV. The final doses of HepB and IPV can be given between 6 and 18 months.
- at age 12 to 15 months — the first MMR (protects against measles, mumps and rubella), and varicella (chickenpox), as well as final doses of PCV and Hib. The first HepA (hepatitis A) dose may be given between 12 and 23 months.
- at age 15 months — the final DTaP.
-
1 AnswerA
Parents have the right and responsibility to make medical decisions for their children, and this includes decisions about vaccines. However, this must be balanced against the community's desire and need to protect itself from contagious diseases. Therefore, states have varying laws governing and limiting the rights of parents to refuse vaccinations for their children. In most states this affects school attendance and requires some kind of written documentation as to the reason for refusal to vaccinate.
-
1 AnswerA
If your child is over two years-old, he or she can absolutely still be vaccinated. In fact, there are even special vaccine catch-up schedules approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics in order to make catch-up vaccines most effective.
Please do not feel that you cannot begin to vaccinate your child, just because you chose not to previously. Many pediatricians will be happy to work with you on whichever schedule you chose. -
2 AnswersA
Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersYou can educate yourself to make an informed, conscious and customized choice based on your family's beliefs and values. Essentially, you have three options.- Vaccinate according to the US Government and American Academy of Pediatrics' Approved Guidelines – The advantage of the standard plan is that most doctors follow it, making it easier to avoid mistakes, especially if you're moving or switching pediatricians at any point. Combining injections saves money (since many insurers won't pay for alternative plans) and avoids traumatizing the child with multiple injections at every doctor's visit. The downside, some believe, is that some of the early vaccines (like Hepatitis B at birth) are unnecessary for low-risk babies.
- Vaccinate according to a popular pedicatrician's guidelines and your own plans – Here, you'd still get the recommended vaccines, but they're spaced apart a little more, thus exposing your child to fewer foreign substances at once and spreading that exposure out over a longer period of time. The downside is that it means more doctor visits, more exposure to sick kids who are at those doctors' offices, more money, more periods of post-shot grumpiness, and more risk of your child contracting a disease during infancy.
- Not to vaccinate your child – Children at higher risk need vaccination. That includes those children living in cities who take public transportation, whose parents work in healthcare, who travel (or whose parents travel), and who live in communities with immigrants. We also recommend immunization for kids who live around people at high risk for contracting diseases (like grandparents and those whose immune systems may be compromised), and those who spend time in settings with other children, such as in day care. Also kids who are cared for someone who may be exposed through any of these means (like a nanny who lives in a neighborhood of immigrants or travels to work on public transportation).
-
2 AnswersA
Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersIn a nutshell, here's the conflict: There's surely enough data to show that vaccines do save lives and protect against illness (the size of that benefit may be debatable, but I consider it significant). There are also safety concerns (as is the case with any medication), in that there's not - and never can be - enough data to guarantee the safety of vaccines in any given individual, especially as they interact with other vaccines, drugs, foods, and that person's specific environment.
So what are we left with? In one corner, we have a group of people who examine the data and believe the advice of the majority of pediatricians and the government. These "support" people conclude that vaccines are much more likely to benefit their children than harm them and are helpful to the long-term health not only of children, but of the population at large. They cite data that show how many infant deaths are prevented every year by immunization and studies that show non-immunized children report more disease events that are categorized as "side effects of vaccine" occurring in immunized children (such as epilepsy; delayed development; communication difficulties).
In the other corner, we have a group of "against" people who believe that vaccines are detrimental to the long-term health of their children, that no studies effectively show that vaccines are safe, and that the full range of serious consequences being caused by vaccines is being minimized and ignored.
The great news is that there is some common ground: Both sides acknowledge that the debate has forced vaccines to become safer, and that's a good thing. Beyond that, your decision may ultimately come down to a) what kind of person you are at heart (trusting of the medical profession or skeptical of it), b) how tolerant you are of risk, and c) what kind of family history of disease you have (whether you're relatively healthy or have genetic dispositions for things like allergies and autism).
I think you are smart enough to digest the arguments and make rational decisions for your children. Most people will follow the official guidelines, which offer the least chance of missing important vaccinations. Others will follow alternative schedules to reduce to the smallest degree possible the potential perceived complications.
Individuals need to customize their own programs with willing physicians as advisors. The one-size-fits-all schedule is dangerous for too many kids. -
2 AnswersA
See All 2 AnswersThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have offered the official recommendations on vaccine scheduling based on when children are most at risk for the vaccine preventable diseases. Much study has gone into these recommendations and physicians who practice evidence based medicine will advise to follow these recommendations.
However, some parents still feel uncomfortable with vaccines. As a parent, you should never feel forced to vaccinate. It is your child and your choice. Please feel free to ask your doctor any questions. If you are more comfortable vaccinating on your own schedule, many pediatricians and family practice doctors will be happy to work with you. -
3 AnswersA
See All 3 AnswersPeople of all ages should be have their immunizations updated. Certain vaccinations, like the flu shot and pneumonia shot, continue to be needed later in life. Many states keep a record of all immunizations given. Ask your doctor which vaccinations you may need.