Why do we need vaccines?
None of us wants to see our children get sick. If we could, we would protect them from any illness, no matter how small -- even the sniffles.
Now suppose you could make your child safe from some of the most deadly diseases in history...And suppose that at the same time you could also help protect your neighbors' children and other children around the country from the same diseases...And finally, suppose you could actually help to rid the world of some of these diseases that have been crippling and killing children for centuries.
You can do all of these things with one of the easiest and yet most powerful health tools ever developed. You can make sure you immunize your children.
How do vaccines work?
When you receive a vaccine, it helps your body to create antibodies. Antibodies are the body's defenses that fight off any foreign substances (germs). Although your body can create antibodies on its own, many of the vaccine-preventable diseases cause severe illness and even death before enough antibodies are produced.
Immunization (vaccination) scheduleVaccines work best when they are given at certain ages. For example, measles vaccine is not usually given until a child is at least 1 year old. If it is given earlier than that, it may not work as well. On the other hand, the DTaP vaccine should be given over a period of time in a series of properly spaced doses. More information about the specific diseases your child is vaccinated against is listed later in this article.
Following is a description of the routine childhood immunization schedule. It is published each year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What childhood vaccines are recommended, and at what ages they should be given?
Hepatitis B vaccine:What if your child misses a shot?
For most vaccines, it is never too late to catch up on missed shots. Children who missed their first shots at 2 months of age can start later. Children who have gotten some of their shots and then fallen behind schedule can catch up without having to start over. If you have children who were not immunized when they were infants, or who have gotten behind schedule, contact your doctor or the health department clinic. They will help you get your children up to date on their immunizations.
(NOTE: Don't postpone your child's immunizations just because you know he or she can catch up later. Every month a child goes without scheduled immunizations is a month that the child is not fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.)
Combination vaccinesA combination vaccine is more than one vaccine contained in a single shot. Doctors and parents both like them because they allow a child to get several vaccines at once without having to get as many injections. Several combination vaccines are already in use (for example, MMR, DTaP, Hib/HepB, DTaP/IPV/HepB), and more are under development.
Vaccination checklistRarely, a child should wait before getting certain vaccines or should not get them at all. Tell your doctor or nurse if any of these apply to your child on a day when an immunization visit is scheduled.
What childhood vaccines are recommended, and at what ages they should be given?
Hepatitis B vaccine:What if your child misses a shot?
For most vaccines, it is never too late to catch up on missed shots. Children who missed their first shots at 2 months of age can start later. Children who have gotten some of their shots and then fallen behind schedule can catch up without having to start over. If you have children who were not immunized when they were infants, or who have gotten behind schedule, contact your doctor or the health department clinic. They will help you get your children up to date on their immunizations.
(NOTE: Don't postpone your child's immunizations just because you know he or she can catch up later. Every month a child goes without scheduled immunizations is a month that the child is not fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.)
Combination vaccinesA combination vaccine is more than one vaccine contained in a single shot. Doctors and parents both like them because they allow a child to get several vaccines at once without having to get as many injections. Several combination vaccines are already in use (for example, MMR, DTaP, Hib/HepB, DTaP/IPV/HepB), and more are under development.
Vaccination checklistRarely, a child should wait before getting certain vaccines or should not get them at all. Tell your doctor or nurse if any of these apply to your child on a day when an immunization visit is scheduled.
Source: http://www.rxlist.com
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