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CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS
What are immunizations?
Immunizations are a series of shots your child will receive to protect them from serious, potentially deadly, diseases.
How do they work?
Germs cause diseases. When these germs enter your body, your immune system works to protect you by producing antibodies. The antibodies help destroy the germs, but because the germs got into your body before the antibodies were created, you still get sick. Once the antibodies have destroyed the germs, they stay in your bloodstream, prepared for future invasions. If the same germs come back, they will be less likely to make you sick because the antibodies are there first, waiting to attack. This is called immunity.
Immunizations (also known as vaccines) are made from the same germs (or parts of them) that cause disease. The difference is the germs in vaccines are either killed or made weaker so they won't make you sick. When you receive a vaccination, your immune system sends out the same antibodies it would send if it were being attacked by the actual disease. The antibodies destroy the germs in the vaccine just as it would with the disease germs. Then they stay in your bloodstream, prepared to protect you from disease germs.
Are vaccines really necessary? What if we didn't have vaccines?
Many new parents today are too young to remember how frightening the disease of Polio used to be. One single epidemic in the United States in 1916 killed 6,000 people and paralyzed 27,000 more. These kinds of devastating effects were seen worldwide. Since the polio vaccine has been introduced, polio doesn't exist in many countries and has been reduced in others. Even diseases that seem harmless, like chickenpox, do have serious effects. About one out of every five children who get chickenpox must be hospitalized. Even if your child isn't one of them, it can still be costly to miss work to take care of a sick child.
If everyone else's child is being immunized, can't I assume my child won't be exposed to vaccine-preventable diseases? Unfortunately, no. Even in the case of polio, a disease that, for all practical purposes, doesn't exist in the United States, still exists in other countries. This means the disease is just one plane trip away from coming into the U.S. An example of this was seen recently in Corvallis where three foreign exchange students were found to have measles. The disease did not spread because other students they came into contact with were immunized.
Are vaccines safe?
Over the years, there have been multiple stories in the news and on the internet saying vaccines aren't safe. Keep in mind, these stories are reported by people who are not medically trained to determine if the information is accurate or not. If you have concerns about vaccines and their safety, talk to your Practitioner. There are also some links at the end of this article to websites that contain accurate information about vaccines. Here are some answers to common vaccine safety questions:
Do vaccines cause autism? No. The news media reports that thimerosal, an ingredient found in small amounts in some vaccines, causes autism have been found to be inaccurate. Please click
here for an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics paper,
"Study Fails to Demonstrate a Connection Between Thimerosal and
Autism."
Do vaccines cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)? No. One myth that has circulated is that DTP causes SIDS. The logic behind this was that some cases of SIDS happened after a recent DTP injection. There are some faults with this type of thinking: 1) SIDS deaths occur generally in children during ages 1-month to 1-year. This also happens to be the time period the first three DTP injections are given. It would be expected, then, that some children who die from SIDS would have recently received a DTP injection. It is a coincidence that the child received the vaccine and the child would have still fallen victim to SIDS had they not received the shot. 2) The connection between DTP and SIDS is not based on medical science. There is no causal connection. Saying there is a connection is like saying that eating breakfast causes bus accidents because studies show that many bus drivers involved in an accident ate breakfast that day.
Do multiple vaccines overload my child's immune system? No. Every day your child is introduced to many antigens-from the food they eat to the normal childhood illnesses like strep throat. Many studies have been done looking at the effects on children receiving more than one vaccine at a time. They all show there is no danger.
Will vaccines make my child sick? What about side effects? There are possible side effects associated with each vaccine. These include minor swelling in the area of the vaccine or a mild fever. Practitioners and Nursing Staff are required to report adverse reactions to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), even when it is only suspected a reaction is due to a vaccine. Serious events are reported rarely (one in thousands to one in millions of doses). All serious reports are investigated and most are determined to be not from the vaccine. The important thing is to weigh the effects of the vaccine with the effects of your child possibly getting the disease. Research shows the safety of getting the vaccines far outweigh the safety of getting the diseases.
What vaccines does my child need?
The Childhood Immunization Schedule is determined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics and is updated annually.
Click here for the English version of the
2008 Childhood Immunization Schedule.
If you are a new parent, you can click here to go to the
Centers for Disease Control web page
to create an immunization schedule specific to your child based on his or her birth date. Please keep in mind that falling behind will change the schedule and you will need to talk to your Practitioner about a catch-up schedule.
Do you know what immunizations your child needs before entering daycare or school? Click
here to visit the Oregon Department of Health Services web page for the most current school requirements.
How do I get my child immunized?
The best way to make sure your child is up-to-date on his or her immunizations is to schedule regular well-child visits with their practitioner. These should be scheduled at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12-15 months, 24 months and each year after that. Some immunizations are a series of injections that may require a visit outside of this schedule. For instance, the first Hepatitis A injection is given at 24 months of age, and the second is given 6 months later. Your Practitioner may not require an actual office visit for the follow-up shot. You may be advised to just drop by in 6 months to have a member of our Nursing Staff take care of this. It is important, however, that you not show up earlier than the time required, or you may be turned away. Any doses given too soon are considered invalid and have to be re-done.
If your child is behind schedule, your Practitioner will follow a "catch-up" schedule to make sure your child is up-to-date.
Where can I find accurate information about immunizations?
We understand making the decision about childhood immunizations can be tough for a parent. Not only is it difficult to see your child get a shot, but there is so much information out there, how do you make a good decision for your child? Below are some resources approved by our Immunization Champion,
Dr. David McAnulty. You can count on these websites for current and accurate immunization information.
Websites:
Immunization Action Coalition www.immunize.org
www.vaccineinformation.org
CDC's national Immunization Program www.cdc.gov/nip
American Academy of Pediatrics'
Childhood Immunization Support Program www.cispimmunize.org
Vaccine Education Center at
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia www.vaccine.chop.edu
Phone Numbers:
CDC's Immunization Information Hotline English: 800-232-2522
Spanish: 800-232-0233
TTY: 800-243-7889
Books:
Vaccines: What Every Parent Should Know by Paul Offit, MD, and Louis Bell, MD.
This book can be found in bookstores, at www.wiley.com, or by calling John Wiley and Sons, Inc. at 800-225-5945.
Vaccinating Your Child: Questions and Answers for the Concerned Parent by Sharon Humiston, MD, MPH, and Cynthia Good.
This book can be found in bookstores, or by calling Peachtree Publishers at 800-241-0113.
Parents' Guide to Childhood Immunization.
This book can be found at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/Parents'Guide/default.htm, or by calling the CDC at 800-232-2522
The information contained in the topic is based on current medical literature and on physician review. However, because an accurate medical diagnosis depends on many factors, including each patient's unique medical history, the use of this information is not intended to replace the advice of your provider.
Written by Amanda Trujillo. Reviewed and approved by Dr. Walter
Buhl.
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