 |
 |
 |
| Information for Parents |
|
Current Immunization
Recommendations by Age
Don't let your child fall behind on his or her immunizations. Nine out of ten parents of children who are behind on their immunizations don't know it! Get your child's yellow immunization card (shown below), enter their information here, and see if your children are up-to-date on their immunizations. By clicking on this link, your browser will open a new window to the San Diego Immunization Coalition's website. To return to PIzC's website, please close the window containing San Diego Immunization Coalition's website.
Current Immunization Recommendations Immunizations (sometimes called vaccinations, inoculations, or shots) are used to protect your child from many vaccine preventable diseases (VPD). By protecting your child from VPD, you are also minimizing the risk of other children getting sick and decreasing the possibilities of disease outbreaks. Currently there are vaccines available to immunize your child against 12 deadly diseases. The table below lists the vaccines used (column one), the diseases they prevent (column two), and the signs, symptoms, and possible consequences of the diseases if not immunized (column three).
Immunization
Successes Ensure your child is immunized to maintain a high level of protection. For more information, visit Vaccines Dramatically Reduced the Number of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Cases in the U.S. in the Twentieth Century!
50th Anniversary of the Polio Vaccine: A Smithsonian National Museum Exhibit Germs like bacteria and viruses make a person
sick when they invade the body and start growing in large numbers. Your body's immune
system recognizes these germs as unfamiliar invaders from outside your body and begins to
attack them by making antibodies. Unfortunately, it takes time for your body to produce
these antibodies and this is why you get sick. As soon as the body has produced sufficient
antibodies, it can begin fighting the infection. Once all the germs are gone, the antibodies begin
their second job, remaining in your blood
stream and remembering the germs. The next time your body is infected by the same germs, the
antibodies begin to respond quicker, attacking the germs before your illness worsens. For more information on immunization successes, see the CDC's publication, Parents Guide to Childhood Immunization. Where to Get Your Child's Immunizations
Need
transportation? Adapted from the CDC's publication Parents Guide to Childhood Immunization and other sources. Q. If vaccine-preventable diseases are almost gone from the United States, why do our children need to get any shots at all? A. Many of these diseases may someday
be eliminated, but outbreaks of diphtheria, measles, and other vaccine-preventable
diseases still occur. Without vaccines, the diseases we are now protected from will
return. Thousands of children will become sick, some will have long-lasting health
problems, and some will die. Other countries do not have the same levels of immunization
that we benefit from in the United States. We must all remain protected with vaccines
because dangerous diseases, though largely under control in the United States are still
only a plane ride away.
A. The immunity caused by natural infection
comes with the high price of occasionally serious and fatal disease. Both natural
infection and immunization cause immunity. The difference between natural infection and
immunization is the price paid for immunity. The price paid for natural infection might be
severe skin infection from chickenpox, mental retardation from Haemophilus influenzae type
b (Hib), pneumonia from pneumococcus, birth defects from rubella, liver cancer from
hepatitis B virus, or inflammation of the brain from measles.
A. Yes, for the most part immunizations are safe. As with any kind of medication, there is always the possibility of an unwanted reaction(s). For the most part, these reactions are mild and may include slight fever or soreness where the shot was given. The important thing to remember is that immunizations are safer than the risk of getting the disease.
A. No, because choosing to avoid
vaccines is simply a way to take a different risk. Unvaccinated children are at risk
for many diseases including meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b,
bloodstream infections caused by pneumococcus, pneumonia caused by measles, deafness
caused by mumps, and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus. When you compare the risk
of vaccines and the risk of diseases, vaccines are the safer choice.
A. Always remember that information found on
the Internet should not replace the information received from a doctor. When looking at information on the Internet, consider
the following questions to determine if the website is credible:
A. Children can now receive as many as 20 shots by the time they are 2 years old and sometimes as many as five shots in a single visit. The number of recommended immunizations has increased because we are now able to safely protect children from more serious diseases than ever before. At birth, newborns immediately face a host of different challenges to their immune system. But babies are capable of responding to millions of different viruses and bacteria because they have billions of immunologic cells circulating in their bodies. Therefore, the vaccines given in the first two years of life are literally a raindrop in the ocean of what infants' immune systems successfully encounter in their environment every day. Immunizations work naturally by using the body's own immune system, making it stronger and teaching it to fight diseases. Children who have not been immunized are at far greater risk of becoming infected with serious diseases because their body hasn't been taught how to fight off the harmful bacteria and viruses. A recent study showed that children who had not received the measles vaccine were 35 times more likely to get the disease. The consequences from a harmful and sometimes even fatal vaccine-preventable disease are much more damaging to your child's body than the shots that they receive.
A. Carefully performed studies disprove the notion that autism is caused by the MMR vaccine. Medical and scientific evidence strongly refutes the finding of one British study that MMR caused autism in eight children. A more recent study of 498 children in England found that the rate of immunization with MMR was the same in children with autism as in children without autism. It has also been found that the incidence of autism did not increase soon after MMR was introduced in various countries where studies have been conducted. In addition, the incidence of autism did not increase in British children in direct relationship to introduction of the vaccine in England in 1988. A study conducted by Dr. Loring G. Dales of the California Department of Health Services Immunization Branch found that the increase in reported cases of autism in California does not parallel the introduction and widespread adoption of the MMR vaccine. Information provided by the San Diego Immunization Coalition.
A. Shots are given as a series over a period of time. However, if a shot is missed, you do NOT need to start the series all over again! The series can be continued as usual,, simply picking up where you left off. Remember, your child must complete the series to be protected, so check your child's record, then call your doctor, nurse, or clinic right away if more doses are needed to help your child stay healthy.
A. If your child has not received their immunizations on time or has fallen behind on their immunizations, it is not too late to get them immunized and protect them from many illnesses. In fact, your child will not be able to attend school until they have received their immunizations. But don't delay! The longer you put off giving your child immunizations, the greater the chances of your child getting sick if he/she comes in contact with a disease.
A. Yes, California School Immunization Law
requires that children be up-to-date on their immunizations to attend school or childcare.
Since diseases spread quickly, children need to be protected before entering school or
childcare. When registering your child for school or daycare, you will need your child's
immunization record, which must show the date each required shot was given. If your child
has not received all required shots, call your doctor or the
Pasadena
Public Health Department's Childhood Immunization Clinic for an appointment.
A. Your child's immunization record is very important! It will be needed for entry to family childcare homes, childcare centers, Head Start, pre-schools, schools and even college. If you lose your child's record, ask your health care provider to give you a new copy, with all immunizations recorded and properly documented. If you cannot get the information re-documented by your providers, your child may have to get the shots all over again. So keep his/her record in a safe place with other important documents. For more information about vaccine-preventable diseases and its vaccines along with resources, visit Vaccine Information. The information on this website should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your healthcare provider.
|
|
 |
