Vaccine Basics

Vaccine Basics

By Margaret Gaia

With having a baby, comes responsibility from the start of being a parent.  Part of that responsibility if ensuring that your new little newborn is protected from germs, viruses, and diseases while still surviving on the mommy’s immune system.  Vaccinations are a good way to prevent any unwanted illness to your newborn.

There are many mixed emotions regarding vaccinations.  Many believe they are the cause of illness, specifically autism in children, while others consider vaccinations an excellent way to place all children, including themselves, out of harms way concerning illness. 

There is no proven data that states that vaccinations are harmful.  As a matter of fact, people who do not have their children given vaccines put others at risk of inheriting disease and illness.

Vaccinations are simple many variations of the weakened disease or illness you are protecting against.  They are inserted into the body, and the body builds and immunity to many different variations of disease and illness such as, measles, chicken pox, hepatitis B, mumps, and the flu (influenza). 

Immunizations are the best way to avoid serious illness caused by viruses or bacteria.  Diseases can change over time, therefore vaccines are necessary to protect against these changes, as experts will change when the vaccines are given in order to protect against these harmful changes.  They are studied regularly and made sure that when they are given, they are safe and effective.

All babies up the age of three are recommended to receive vaccinations for hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, heamophilus influenzae, pneumococcal, inactivated polio, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis A, and meningococcal.  Children 6 months to 24 months need to also be protected against swine flu.  

Some vaccinations do come with limited risks, however the benefits far outweigh the risk involved.  For example, some immunizations result in the child experiencing a low fever or a rash around the injected areas.  It might seem that your baby is getting sick, but it is actually a sign that the immune system is working properly and learning to fight off disease.  In more rare cases, children might experience difficulty breathing or have a more severe reaction to immunizations.  In this case, a healthcare provider should be called immediately.

A schedule was developed for vaccinations located here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm

Please visit this link for further information around vaccinations and when your baby should receive them.