Protecting your child from illness is one of the most important responsibilities of a parent. One way to help ensure your child’s health and well being is by making sure they stay current with their vaccinations.
That’s because vaccines prevent infectious diseases that years ago harmed or proved fatal to infants, children, and adults. Without these inoculations, your child is at risk of serious illness and suffering pain, disability, or worse from ailments such as measles and whooping cough.
While some parents may have concerns about the safety of vaccinations, it should be noted that the only risks associated with vaccines are mild side effects – such as redness and swelling at the injection site – that disappear within a few days. More serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are extremely rare and can be easily dealt with by a trained physician and clinic staff. In fact, the United States currently has the safest vaccine supply in its history with millions of children safely receiving vaccinations each year.
Vaccination Schedules for Newborns, Toddlers, and Adolescents
A vaccination schedule is a plan that doctors follow to ensure that children get the correct vaccines at various ages. For example, right after birth, a newborn child needs to get a hepatitis B shot. Once the child is two months old, they need to get another shot for hepatitis B, as well as vaccinations for:
- Rotavirus (RV), a contagious infection that causes diarrhea
- Diphtheria, a bacterial infection that usually affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat
- Tetanus, a disease of the nervous system that is caused by toxin-producing bacterium
- DTaP, a vaccine to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, a contagious respiratory infection better known as whooping cough
- Hib, a bacterial infection that can lead to brain infection
- IPV, an oral poliovirus vaccine
- PCV(pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), used to protect against disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae
At four months old, the child needs to get another dose of RV, PCV, IPV, DTap, and Hib, followed by a third round of Hib, DTap, PCV, RV (if needed), and a final dose of hepatitis B at six months old, along with the child’s first yearly flu vaccine. Then, at 12 months old, the child should receive a fourth dose of PCV and a first dose of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chicken pox), and hepatitis A vaccine.
Why so many vaccinations? Because early intervention in the form of vaccines and regular well-child checkups help keep your child healthy and safe from preventable diseases.
At Northwoods Pediatric Center, P.A., we strongly believe that maintaining the health and monitoring the growth and development of your child is of vital importance. That’s why we recommend following the schedule set by the American Academy of Pediatrics for Child and Adolescent Immunization for ages 18 years or younger. To read the schedule, click here.
Child Vaccinations Near You in The Woodlands & Spring, Texas
In addition to child vaccinations, Northwoods Pediatric Center, P.A. also provides routine pediatric services, including well-child exams and sports physicals. For more information, contact us today at (281) 296-7770, or use our convenient online Request an Appointment form. Together, we can help keep your child safe and healthy from infancy to young adulthood.
