Making the Decision to Vaccinate
Posted on August 28, 2014
Hello Thursday! Many parents have expressed concerns over the risk and safety of vaccinating their children. I understand the concern but if you really think about it, a decision not to immunize a child involves the most risk. It puts your child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a disease that could be dangerous or deadly. Here’s a great article that I hope will help you see the benefits of vaccinating your children.
As a parent, you may get concerned when you watch your baby get 3 or 4 shots during a doctor’s visit. But, all of those shots add up to your baby being protected against 14 infectious diseases. Young babies can get very ill from vaccine-preventable diseases. The vaccination schedule is designed to protect young children before they are likely to be exposed to potentially serious diseases and when they are most vulnerable to serious infections.
Vaccination begins at birth with the hepatitis B vaccine because giving that vaccine early is the best way to start immediate protection against a hepatitis B infection. Infants who are infected at birth can develop serious liver disease – which can lead to death – when they are adults. A woman who has hepatitis B can pass the virus to her newborn during childbirth. Unfortunately, many people with the hepatitis B virus do not know they have it because they do not have symptoms, but they can still spread the virus. Starting vaccination at birth provides protection from a hepatitis infection that can happen later in childhood or adulthood.
Although children continue to get several vaccines up to their second birthday, these vaccines do not overload the immune system. Every day, your healthy baby’s immune system successfully fights off millions of antigens-the parts of germs that cause the body’s immune system to respond. The antigens in vaccines come from weakened or killed germs so they cannot cause serious illness. Vaccines contain only a tiny amount of the antigens that your baby encounters every day, even if your child receives several vaccines in one day.
As children get older, they require additional doses of some vaccines for best protection. Older kids also need to be protected against additional diseases they may encounter.
I hope, after reading all of the information over the past week, that I have helped you understand the benefits of staying current with vaccinations. Tomorrow I will share the recommended immunizations based on age.
If you haven’t had a chance to take my immunization quiz, click on the button below. Once the quiz is completed, there will be a link to a form where you can fill out to receive my mini first aid kit. Act now, there is only a limited quantity available!!
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