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Protecting Your Child With Vaccines

Vaccines are an important part of keeping your child healthy. The best person to talk to about vaccines is your child’s care provider. They can tell you why and how vaccines can help keep your child healthy and recommend the right schedule for your child.

There are more vaccines for children today because we can prevent more diseases than ever before. Careful research has helped make these vaccines safe and effective.

How do vaccines help?

Vaccines help kids:

• Stay healthy and active.
• Train their body how to recognize and fight infections.
• Not miss school days.
• Need fewer doctor and ER visits.
• Stay safe from serious complications from infections.

Vaccines can also help parents and caregivers:

• Worry less about their child’s risk of infections.
• Miss less work time due to caring for a sick child.
• Avoid costs due to illness in themselves or their child.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines teach your child’s own immune system how to fight specific germs (like viruses or bacteria) that cause illness. A vaccine uses a small piece of the germ to help your child’s body build up protection before they get sick. This helps prevent many types of diseases , or it can turn a serious infection into a mild infection.

A vaccine is most often given as a shot by a small needle into an arm or leg. Some vaccines only need to be given a few times during childhood and can protect for a lifetime, such as polio, measles, and hepatitis B. Other vaccines might need boosters or reminders to keep protection strong, such as tetanus (every 10 years) or flu vaccine (every year).

Are vaccines safe?

For decades, vaccines have helped protect hundreds of millions of children from serious illness. It’s important to know that:

• Vaccines do not cause illness. Most vaccines contain very tiny amounts of inactive forms of germs. They don’t contain enough of any germ to cause illness. They contain just enough to help your child’s body recognize the germ in the future. Some vaccines contain an active but weakened form of a germ (such as measles virus) that cannot cause disease.
• Vaccines do not cause autism. Researchers are still learning about the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some people may worry that vaccines could play a role, but many studies have not found any evidence for this.
• Vaccines can commonly cause local reactions. You might see swelling, redness, and tenderness where your child got a shot, mostly within the first few days. 
• Vaccines can also sometimes cause systemic reactions, such as fever, feeling tired, muscle soreness, or mild headache. This is usually because your child’s body is learning how to build protection against infections. 
• If you have questions about specific vaccines, it is always a good idea to talk with your child’s provider if you have any concerns.

What vaccines does your child need?

Your child’s provider will talk with you about the types of vaccines your child needs, based on their age, their medical history, and other factors. There are many infections we can now prevent with simple vaccines.

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Where will your child get vaccines?

Your child will most likely get vaccines at their doctor’s office. Your child may also be able to get vaccines at a pharmacy, school, or local vaccine clinic.

It’s never too late

If you’re worried that your child has missed some vaccines, it’s not too late. Your child’s provider can make sure your child gets up to date on their vaccines.

Healthy kids still need vaccines

Vaccines are the easiest way to reduce the risk of serious infections that can happen even in very healthy kids.

Does your child need the yearly influenza (flu) vaccine?

Yes. All children 6 months and older should get the yearly flu vaccine, with rare exceptions. This vaccine reduces their risk of getting the flu and complications from the flu. It’s best to have it before the end of October each year. Some children will need two doses of vaccine—for example, if they haven’t gotten a flu vaccine before.

Does your newborn baby need the hepatitis B vaccine?

Yes. Babies usually get their within 24 hours after they are born. There is no cure for hepatitis B, so this vaccine reduces your baby’s risk of getting hepatitis B when they are most vulnerable to getting serious complications from hepatitis B infection, like liver disease. The first dose is an important step to keep babies healthy from the start, and it also will give your baby lifelong protection.

Is newborn vitamin K a vaccine?

Vitamin K is not a vaccine. Vitamin K is a nutrient our bodies need to stop bleeding and heal wounds. Newborn babies are not born with enough vitamin K, which can lead to internal bleeding, especially in the brain. to prevent severe internal bleeding that can cause death or permanent harm.

Will insurance still cover childhood vaccines?

Yes. Even though federal guidance has changed, all vaccines that were previously recommended and covered by insurance are still available. are required to pay for vaccines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 

If you have questions

The best person to talk to is your child’s health care provider. They know your child’s health history and can tell you why and how vaccines can help keep your child safe and healthy.