Why You Should Keep Your Child’s Vaccines Up-To-Date
Why You Should Keep Your Child’s Vaccines Up-To-Date
Vaccines play a crucial role in your child’s immunity by helping their bodies create antibodies to fight off diseases. Keeping our kids’ immune systems strong is especially important in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic when warding off illnesses is everybody’s concern. Unfortunately, though, some parents miss their children’s vaccine schedule because they are busy at work or at home so it’s best that they understand that getting their doses on time will prove to be extremely beneficial to their health.
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Why You Should Keep Your Child’s Vaccines Up-To-Date
No approved COVID-19 vaccines for kids yet
Our pediatrician told us that since there are no approved COVID-19 vaccines for children yet, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have a fighting chance against the disease.
We can still protect them from COVID-19 by adhering to strict health and safety protocols at home such as bathing and disinfecting after going out and generally adhering to good hygiene at home.
Furthermore, a strong immune system is key the only way to do it is to complete their vaccines, with emphasis on the ones that will strengthen their respiratory system (such as flu and anti-pneumonia shots).
What are the recommended vaccines for children?
Getting vaccinated is the primary line of defense of children against diseases. Thus, as parents, it’s our responsibility to ensure that they get the recommended vaccines for their age on time.
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Of course, it will still depend on your personal preference although, honestly, the advantages of vaccines far outweigh the disadvantages (minor side effects). If you have apprehensions, ask your pediatrician about it so that you can make an informed choice.
Here are the recommended vaccines for children per age:
After birth
BCG vaccine (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) – anti tuberculosis
HBV vaccine (Hepatitis B)
At six weeks
DPT vaccine (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus)
Polio vaccine
PC (pneumococcal conjugate) vaccine
Six months onward
Flu
Japanese encephalitis
Measles vaccine
Mumps vaccine
Rubella vaccine
Varicella vaccine - Chickenpox
Hepatitis A
HPV (human papillomavirus)
What if a vaccine is missed?
There are cases when missing a vaccine shot is unavoidable like when a baby is sick or in cases when parents forget about the schedule. This has happened to us and we’re not afraid to admit that we forgot a vaccine shot or two. We’re not perfect, after all.
It’s a good thing that our kids can still catch up if they miss a shot. Also, we're thankful that our pediatrician is kind and patient enough to explain these things to us.
To catch up, there are what is called polyvalent vaccines, or those that target multiple diseases in one shot. An example would be the 4-in-1 DPT with the polio vaccine. Moreover, it’s also a great way to deliver a vaccine because a baby is spared from multiple injections.
Recommended vaccines for adults
I know this is a little off-topic because this article is about vaccination for children. However, it wouldn’t hurt to keep emphasizing the criticality of vaccinations to adults. If the COVID-19 vaccine is available to you, please take advantage of it because it will protect you from getting complications from the virus. I got mine and it's perfectly fine.
It’s also best to continue your flu vaccinations, as well as pneumonia vaccines.
Managing the side effects of vaccines
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Our pediatrician told us that, it managing the side effects of vaccines we only need to give paracetamol to manage fever and cold compress to alleviate local pain and swelling.
Epilogue
The importance of vaccination in children cannot be overemphasized because that will give them protection against diseases. As such, we should ensure that they get the recommended shots on time. If ever they miss their schedule, it’s alright because they can still catch up with polyvalent vaccines.
On the other hand, vaccination is as important to adults so it’s also best to stick to the suggested annual shots.
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