Love Them
Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements in medicine and has spared millions of people the devastating effects of preventable diseases. Thanks to vaccines or "shots," smallpox has been eradicated, polio has been nearly eliminated, and other diseases such as measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria are largely controlled in the United States and many other areas of the world. In fact, many parents have never seen a child who is paralyzed by polio or who suffers from brain damage due to measles. While vaccination has enabled us to reduce most vaccine-preventable diseases to low levels in the United States, many of these diseases are still common - and even epidemic - in other parts of the world. Without vaccines, diseases will return and many children will get sick -- and some will die. That's why babies, young children, and adolescents need immunizations or "shots" to protect them against 16 dangerous yet preventable diseases. Protecting children also protects those people around them, including parents, family members, friends, and other loved ones.
Protect Them
You can protect your children by taking them to a doctor or clinic for their shots. Babies need 10 different kinds of shots by the time they are two years old. Some of the shots are supposed to be given several times, so this will take about five visits to the doctor or clinic. Children are given shots in the first few months of life because their immune systems are not fully developed, making it easier for them to catch diseases. Young infants are surprisingly good at building immunities to diseases, and 95 percent of children who receive vaccines will be fully protected by two years of age.
Immunizations are successful at preventing diseases and are very safe thanks to constant medical research and review. Children are far more likely to be hurt by serious diseases than by any shot. Common side effects from shots -- such as a sore arm, mild fever, or rash -- are minor and don’t last long.
Immunize Them
Babies in the first year of life have some immunity to diseases. They receive limited protection in the form of antibodies from their mothers in the womb and through their mother’s breast milk. However, babies lose these protective antibodies after their first year. Vaccinations or “shots” help protect children against disease by creating new antibodies. We need to immunize our children for two basic reasons. First, many preventable diseases are still among us and can be deadly. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Second, some of these diseases are still very common in other countries. International travel to and from the United States could easily spread disease if we were not protected by immunizations.
Don’t wait until your baby gets sick to get them immunized. Your baby may get the first shot at birth and will need more shots at two months old. At each visit to the doctor or clinic, ask whether your baby is up to date on immunizations. Check out our Resources page to figure out if your child is up-to-date on his or her immunizations.
For Information on Flu Shots:
 |
Need information about protecting your family from the flu and pneumonia? Click on the CIPAC logo above. |
