Child Vaccination: Building a Foundation for a Healthy Tomorrow 19/02/2024
Part of caring for children is preparing them for a healthy future. Vaccination plays an important role in your health.
Vaccines against influenza, rotavirus, polio, tetanus, whooping cough (also called whooping cough) and other diseases are allowed in the first year of life. If these diseases look different, it's because the vaccines work. However, you are wondering about the benefits and risks of childhood vaccines. Here are answers to some common questions about childhood vaccines.
REGARDING COVID-19 AND OTHER EMERGING VIRUSES
1. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children.
After Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, safety monitoring found that the COVID-19 vaccine remains safe for children. Although side effects are rare, the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the potential risks of COVID-19 and potential complications.
2. Vaccination protects children from COVID-19.
See how you can vaccinate your child:
Children can be prevented from becoming seriously ill if they are exposed to COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine continues to protect children from serious illness and hospitalization. Children with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. However, even children who do not appear to be healthy can become seriously ill.
Encourage parents or guardians to have their children participate in nurseries, schools, sports, play days, extracurricular activities and other group activities.
3. Children can suffer complications after being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Side effects are mild, temporary, and similar to those after vaccination. Some children have no side effects.
4. Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are lower in children than in adolescents and adults.
The doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are based on the child's age on the day of vaccination, not the child's height and weight. This also applies to other vaccines, such as pertussis A and B vaccines.
QUESTIONS WHICH PARENTS MIGHT ASK:
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines help your immune system fight more effectively against infections by triggering an immune response against certain diseases. Then, when a virus or bacteria invades your body in the future, your immune system already knows how to fight it.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are very safe. A vaccine-preventable disease is more likely to harm your child than a vaccine. All vaccines undergo rigorous safety testing, including clinical trials, before being approved for the public. Countries only register and distribute vaccines that meet strict quality and safety standards.
Why should I vaccinate my child?
Vaccines save lives. Measles vaccines alone are estimated to have prevented more than 21 million deaths between 2000 and 2017. Vaccines help protect your child from diseases that can cause serious harm or death, especially in people whose immune systems are developing, such as infants.
Childhood vaccination is important. If not, highly contagious diseases such as measles, diphtheria and polio, which have been eradicated from many countries, will return.
Can my child handle all these vaccines?
Yes. Many parents fear that multiple vaccines will overwhelm a child's immune system. But children are exposed to hundreds of microbes every day. In fact, a cold or sore throat stresses your child's immune system more than vaccines.
Can the vaccine make my child sick?
Vaccines are very safe and serious side effects are rare. Almost all post-vaccination illnesses or discomforts are mild and temporary, such as soreness at the injection site or a mild fever. These can often be managed by taking over-the-counter pain relievers as directed by your doctor or by applying a cold compress to the injection site. If parents are concerned, they should contact their doctor or healthcare provider. Extensive research shows that there is no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism.
What diseases do vaccines prevent?
Vaccines protect your child from serious diseases such as polio, which can cause paralysis; measles, which can cause brain swelling and blindness; and tetanus, which can cause painful muscle contractions and difficulty eating and breathing, especially in newborns. For a list of the most common vaccines and the diseases they prevent, see here for a list of the most common vaccines and the diseases they prevent.
Can I postpone the vaccination schedule?
One of the best ways to protect your child is to follow the vaccination schedule recommended in your country. Every time you delay a vaccine, you increase your child's susceptibility to illness.
Can I give my child chicken pox instead of the vaccine?
Although chickenpox is a mild disease that many parents remember from childhood (the vaccine was introduced in 1995), some children develop severe cases and complications that can be life-threatening or cause permanent disability. The vaccine eliminates the risk of complications from the disease and prevents children from infecting their siblings, friends and classmates.
What is the recommended vaccination schedule?
Vaccination schedules vary from country to country, depending on which diseases are most common. Check with your local health center, doctor or state health department for an overview of recommended vaccines and expected dates.
Is natural immunity better than vaccination?
No. In most cases, the best way to prevent the disease is to get vaccinated against the disease. Infection with the bacteria can trigger an immune response that lasts longer in some people, but can be more deadly. For example, infection with the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) can cause hearing loss, brain damage, or death. Childhood vaccines protect children from serious illnesses and complications. Vaccines reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
Are the side effects of vaccines bad?
Most vaccine side effects are not serious. All medicines, including vaccines, can cause side effects. In most cases, these side effects are mild. Examples include mild fever, headache, and burning or pain at the injection site.
In rare cases, children may experience serious side effects, such as allergic reactions or seizures. This is a rare disease, so caregivers and healthcare professionals should monitor after vaccination. Of course, the vaccine cannot be given to children who are known to be allergic to any part of the vaccine. And if your child has a fatal reaction to a vaccine, they won't need another dose of that vaccine. Vaccination has a very low risk of death. The benefits of vaccination outweigh the negative effects for almost all children.
Why do we keep vaccinating?
Most babies are born with an immune system. Immunizations help keep your baby safe from illness and disease. It also helps prevent babies and children from spreading the disease to others. Children's immunizations are carefully scheduled. When the vaccine is given, the protection provided by the mother diminishes and the child's immune system is primed, but before the child is exposed to the germs that cause the disease.
Is it good to pick and choose vaccines?
It is not a good idea to skip some vaccines. Your child will be left unprotected. This allows the child to spread the disease to others. For some children, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, their greatest defense against disease is the death of those around them.
And as the disease continues to spread in many parts of the world, skipping vaccines can put your child at risk. If you have questions about a vaccine, talk to your child and their doctor about your concerns. If your child is behind schedule on vaccinations, ask your child and doctor how to catch up.
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