what to do before babys gets first shots

By: Edith Bracho-Sánchez, Physician, FAAP

Have you ever wondered why babies get vaccines starting from the twenty-four hour period they're born? I big reason: the youngest of us need the protection the most. It'due south too the time in your child's development that their immune organisation works best with the vaccine.

Childhood vaccination is essential because it helps provide immunity before kids are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Of all the age groups, babies are more frequently hospitalized, and sometimes dice, from the diseases we can forestall with vaccines. That's why nigh of the childhood vaccines are recommended during your infant's first 12 to 18 months of life.

Did you know?

By the fourth dimension a kid is old enough to start school, they volition be protected from xiv diseases! From birth to age 6, infants and children go vaccines to protect them from hepatitis A and hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio, pneumococcal disease, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and influenza.

Immunization schedule for babies & young kids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups, have all agreed on a schedule for immunizations for kids. This recommended schedule is based on research showing us the all-time timing for each vaccine dose.

Your pediatrician keeps runway of your kid'due south vaccines. They make sure your child is protected at the right time.

Babe's first vaccine

Hepatitis B is the first vaccine most babies receive. Information technology is given inside 24 hours of nativity. Your baby volition get a second dose of hepatitis B vaccine when they are one month to 2 months erstwhile and the tertiary dose when they are vi months to 18 months one-time.

Why do we requite the start dose so quickly? More than than i million people in the U.Due south. take long-term hepatitis B infections. And people who are infected with hepatitis B equally a baby have a ninety% chance of developing serious, chronic weather like liver cancer in their lifetime. And because people may not know they are infected, they may spread the virus if they come up in shut contact with your babe. The vaccine is a safe, very effective way to eliminate that risk right away by protecting babies from infection.

2 months old

The first doses of the vaccines given at two months of historic period protect babies from 7 diseases. Their names may await similar a jumble of alphabet messages. Merely the messages stand for the diseases that used to cause serious infections in children.

Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine

Children get 5 doses of DTaP vaccine. The vaccine prevents serious illness from 3 diseases:

• Diphtheria: A serious pharynx infection that tin can cause breathing problems and heart failure. Earlier the vaccine, diphtheria killed i-fifth of the kids who got infected.
  

• Tetanus: A deadly bacteria that lives in the soil and is found everywhere in the earth. It can get into your body through a rusty nail or any kind of cut on your skin. If the germ gets in, it produces a deadly toxin that causes musculus paralysis.

• Pertussis: Besides called "whooping cough," it causes violent cough fits that brand it hard to exhale. Babies with pertussis may need infirmary care and are at chance of death. Often, pertussis is spread to the babe past an adult who has not had the Tdap vaccine.

Haemophilus influenzae blazon B (Hib) vaccine (4 doses) prevents several types of affliction, including ear infections, pneumonia and meningitis. Infections can be life threatening. If babies have not been vaccinated and have symptoms, they may demand a spinal tap to test for the bacteria.

Polio vaccine (4 doses) prevents a disease that causes expiry and paralysis. The polio virus is all the same circulating outside the United states, and unvaccinated children are at adventure.

Pneumococcal vaccine (4 doses) prevents disease caused past bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. When these bacteria invade the lungs, they cause pneumonia. When they invade the bloodstream, they can cause an overwhelming infection called sepsis. When they invade the brain, they cause meningitis. They can also cause ear infections—which almost parents know tin exist painful and frequent. Since nosotros have had this vaccine, the number of kids suffering all of these illnesses has dropped dramatically.

Rotavirus vaccine (2 or 3 doses) stops the primary cause of diarrhea in children. This virus spreads very easily—on your hands, dirty diapers or toys, and through the air. Rotavirus infections cause severe, watery diarrhea, airsickness, fever and abdominal pain. Sometimes the virus causes children to get so dehydrated that they need hospital care.

half dozen months old

The influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone starting at 6 months of age. The start time your child gets the flu vaccine, they will also need a second dose 4 weeks subsequently. Fifty-fifty healthy kids tin can develop severe complications that transport them to the hospital. Influenza viruses change from year to year, then everyone needs to become a flu shot each year. Almanac flu shots continue children from severe disease.

12 to 18 months one-time

At your kid's first altogether checkup (or shortly after), they volition go shots that protect them from 5 more diseases. They also may get second, third or fourth doses of the vaccines they started during the first year.

Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine

Children become 2 doses of MMR vaccine. Most people who are vaccinated with MMR will be protected for life. The vaccine prevents serious illness from three diseases:

• Measles tin can cause fever, cough, runny olfactory organ, and red, watery eyes, commonly followed past a rash that covers the whole trunk. It tin atomic number 82 to seizures (often associated with fever), ear infections, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Rarely, measles can cause brain harm or death.

• Mumps tin cause fever, headache, musculus aches, tiredness, loss of ambition and bloated and tender salivary glands under the ears. Information technology can lead to deafness, swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord roofing, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries and, very rarely, expiry.

• Rubella can crusade fever, sore throat, rash, headache and centre irritation. It tin can cause arthritis in up to half of teenage and developed women. A pregnant person who gets rubella could accept a miscarriage or the babe could be born with serious birth defects.

Varicella vaccine (ii doses) prevents "chickenpox," which used to infect 4 million people in the United States every year. More 10,000 were hospitalized, and more than 100 died. A mild case tin can crusade a child to miss school for a calendar week or more than.

Hepatitis A vaccine (ii doses) gives lifelong protection from a serious liver disease. The disease can spread through food or by contact with an infected person—even someone who doesn't evidence any symptoms.

Fun fact: Vaccines protect babies before nascence!

Information technology'south true. Babies get antibodies during pregnancy from some vaccines their mothers have had. For example, the baby is protected for a curt time afterwards they are born if their mother has had the measles vaccine.

Notwithstanding, this protection moms give their babies during pregnancy starts to clothing off at effectually i year of age. That'south why, when they are 12 months to eighteen months old, babies go a shot to proceed them protected from measles and ii other diseases (the MMR vaccine). And then, a 2nd dose of MMR vaccine is recommended when kids are 4 years old. The second dose acts like a reminder for your child'due south immune system. Research shows the MMR vaccine is incredibly constructive when given at these ages.

Remember

Nosotros know from decades of inquiry, in millions of children, that the vaccines piece of work best at these ages, and with this spacing between doses. And we know they are safe when given on this schedule.

The immunization schedule helps children develop life-long immunity and protect them and others from serious diseases. Finally, if you have questions, talk with your pediatrician. We are here to partner with yous to aid your child stay good for you—and thrive.

More information

• Recommended Immunization Schedules
• Vaccine Safe: Go the Facts
  

• Why Your Newborn Needs a Vitamin Thousand Shot
  

About Dr. Bracho-Sánchez

Edith Bracho-Sánchez, Dr., FAAP, is a chief intendance pediatrician and the director of the pediatric telemedicine program at Columbia Academy Irving Medical Center. She was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, obtained her medical degree from New York Academy and trained in pediatrics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She lives in New York City with her husband and son. Follow her on Twitter @DoctoraEdith.

The information contained on this Web site should not exist used equally a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

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Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Your-Babys-First-Vaccines.aspx

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