Newborn Vaccines Your Baby Needs
Is your baby protected from vaccine-preventable diseases? Here’s the newborn vaccine schedule recommended by the CDC and AAP for your baby’s first months of life.
Your baby will be given a handful of vaccines and supplements in the first months of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the carefully-planned childhood vaccine schedule. Following the schedule in the coming months and years will put your infant on track for life-long immunity to dangerous diseases.
The vaccines recommended for your young baby are closely monitored by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness. Here are the vaccines that your baby will receive from birth through two months.
Why We Need Vaccines
Vaccines have successfully lowered the rates of disease in countries with strong vaccination programs.
Some of the diseases that vaccines prevent have no treatment or cure. These diseases can cause:
- severe illness
- disability
- death
Even with improved living conditions and modern hygiene, vaccines are still very important to prevent infections that could make your child very sick.
Some diseases are now rarely seen in Canada because of long-term high rates of vaccination in the population, including:
However, these diseases still exist in some countries, so people who live in them or travel to them may become infected. They can introduce and spread these diseases when they return to Canada. High rates of vaccination against these diseases help to prevent further spread and outbreaks.
The best way to protect your children’s health is to prevent these diseases in the first place by keeping their vaccinations up to date. Some examples include:
Measles
Measles is still a leading cause of death in children worldwide, with 89,780 cases in 2016. One person with measles can infect 12 to 18 people who haven’t had the vaccine.
Measles is a very contagious disease. You can catch it by walking into a room that an infected person sneezed in an hour before you entered.
Immunising Your Child Is Important
There are immunisation requirements that your child needs to meet in order to go to childcare, kindergarten and primary school in Victoria. By law, your childs immunisations must be up to date before they start childcare and kindergarten.
The Australian Immunisation Register will send you your child’s Immunisation History Statement on request or you can download it from your myGov account.
In Victoria, parents of children attending a childcare or kindergarten service are required to provide an updated Immunisation History Statement to the service if the child has a new vaccine. This ensures that the service always has current information about the childs immunisation status.
Parents who immunise their children at the appropriate age may be eligible for Australian Government family assistance payments. For more information, visit the Australian Government Services Australia website or visit a Centrelink.
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Why Does Your Baby Need The Same Vaccination More Than Once
Your baby needs more than one of every vaccination in the vaccination schedule. For some vaccinations, your baby needs more than one dose to build up enough immunity to protect her from disease. Immunity is her bodys protection from disease. For other vaccinations, immunity decreases over time, so your child needs another dose to boost her immunity. Some vaccinations help protect your child against germs that are always changing, like the flu. This is why your child needs a flu shot every year. To get the best protection from disease, your baby needs all the recommended doses of each vaccine.
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B And Pneumococcus
Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcus are bacteria that cause pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis in infants.
“In the past, before this vaccine, a hospital like Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital would treat two to four cases every week,” Soneji says. “With Hib, 50% of kids would have some morbidity or mortality so they would either die or be left with a disability ranging from mild hearing loss to developmental problems like cerebral palsy. All from this one bacterium causing meningitis.”
According to Soneji, physicians have also seen that when infants and kids are vaccinated against pneumococcus, their grandparents contract pneumonia less often.
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Meningococcal Serogroup A C W Y Vaccination
Routine vaccination
- 2-dose series at 1112 years, 16 years
Catch-up vaccination
- Age 1315 years: 1 dose now and booster at age 1618 years
- Age 1618 years: 1 dose
Special situations
Anatomic or functional asplenia , HIV infection, persistent complement component deficiency, complement inhibitor use:
- Menveo
- Dose 1 at age 8 weeks: 4-dose series at 2, 4, 6, 12 months
- Dose 1 at age 36 months: 3- or 4- dose series
- Dose 1 at age 723 months: 2-dose series
- Dose 1 at age 24 months or older: 2-dose series at least 8 weeks apart
Travel in countries with hyperendemic or epidemic meningococcal disease, including countries in the African meningitis belt or during the Hajj
- Children age less than 24 months:
- Menveo
- Dose 1 at age 8 weeks: 4-dose series at 2, 4, 6, 12 months
- Dose 1 at age 36 months: 3- or 4- dose series
- Dose 1 at age 723 months: 2-dose series
Vaccines Given At Birth
Hepatitis B Vaccine is given before taking your baby home from the hospital. Hepatitis B can cause slow, persistent liver damage in a child. The virus, found in blood and body fluids, can last on a surface for up to a month. Doctors recommend this vaccine for all babies as a preventative to liver disease and cancer from the virus.
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Which Vaccines Do You Recommend For Patients Planning On Starting A Family
First, aspiring parents should be up-to-date on all their childhood vaccines.
Rubella is one of the most important for a mother who wishes to become pregnant, because congenital rubella infection can cause many problems with a growing baby. This vaccine should be given before getting pregnant, as it is a live-virus vaccine and shouldnt be given to pregnant women.
“The antibodies generated by the flu shot will also circulate to the baby during pregnancy and protect the baby in early life.”
What Vaccines Do Swine Need
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. Thereof, what vaccinations do pigs need?
The basic vaccinations for feeder pigs are atrophic rhinitis , actinoba- cillus pleuropneumoniae , mycoplasmal pneumonia, and erysipelas. Vaccines contain safe microorgan- isms that are injected into a pig to prepare its immune system to resist diseases.
Furthermore, which swine diseases can be prevented with the proper use of a vaccine? Vaccines commonly used on pig farms throughout the world include erysipelas, parvovirus infection , E.
Also Know, how often do pigs need to be vaccinated?
Give booster vaccinations to sows on the day of weaning, before rebreeding. Boars should receive a booster vaccination every 6 months. Young pigs should receive two vaccinations 3 to 4 weeks apart with an erysipelas bacterin.
Why do we vaccinate pigs?
Sucker scours To prevent scours in the newborn pig, the vaccine is given to the gilts and sows so that immunity is passed through the first milk to the baby pig.
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How Do I Keep Track Of My Child’s Vaccination
You will be given a vaccination record with your child’s recommended schedule at your first clinic visit. If your healthcare provider forgets, be sure to ask for one. It is important to bring this record with you every time you visit a healthcare provider. This is to make sure that it can be updated each time your child receives a vaccine.
You might find it helpful to use the checklist at the back of this guide, or download the CANImmunize mobile app to help you keep track of your family’s vaccinations.
Dtap Diphtheria Tetanus And Pertussis
This combined vaccine protects from these three diseases. Diphtheria and tetanus are caused by bacteria, which produce toxins in the body. The vaccine helps the body produce antibodies to fight those toxins, Soneji says.
According to the CDC, diphtheria can lead to paralysis, difficulty breathing, heart failure, and even infant mortality.
Tetanus causes painful muscle contractions, including lockjaw, making it hard for a baby to swallow or move their mouth, Soneji says. The bacteria causing tetanus can even be found in the dirt so any child just innocently playing in their backyard could be exposed, he says.
Infants are most susceptible to pertussis or whooping cough. This disease causes violent coughing and breathing difficulties. For infants, it can be deadly, Soneji says.
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A Parent’s Guide To Vaccination
Vaccination is the best way to protect your child’s health
Parents are responsible for the well-being of their children, including protecting them from illness caused by diseases that are vaccine-preventable. Learn about vaccination and why it is important to your child’s health.
Parents agree that feeding and sleeping schedules are important to help keep children healthy. The same goes for childhood vaccinations. Vaccinating your children is the best way to keep them safe from many serious and potentially deadly diseases. You can help protect your children by getting them vaccinated on time and keeping their shots up to date.
How Are Vaccines Approved
Vaccines must go through years of research, followed by testing and retesting before they can be used in Canada. Several systems are in place to monitor the creation, the use, and the safety of vaccines. Each vaccine MUST be proven to be safe and to work before it can be given. Vaccine reactions are reported by healthcare providers to local public health authorities to make sure unusual or unexpected reactions can be dealt with quickly.
Watch our vaccine safety video @ Canada.ca/vaccines
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Is The Vaccine Safer Than Getting The Real Disease
Yes. Your child’s natural immune system has no problem handling the weak or dead germs in a vaccine. Your child may have a mild fever or a sore arm after vaccination but these side effects only last a few days and should not disrupt daily activities.
However, if an unvaccinated child catches the real disease, the result can be serious, or even fatal. This is because active germs multiply quickly, and your child’s immune system is not prepared to defend itself.
How Long Before You See The Kids:
If you have shingles, youre only contagious when you have a blister rash that hasnt yet formed a crust. So unless you have a rash, you probably dont need to wait to see your grandkids after you get your vaccine.
This vaccine protects you against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. While you may have received the MMR vaccine in the past, protection from it might fade over time.
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When To Get It:
CDC recommends that all adults get a flu shot every flu season. In the United States, flu season usually lasts from October to May. Each years new batch of flu vaccines typically becomes available in late summer.
If youd like to get a flu shot outside of flu season, ask your pharmacist or doctor about getting the most recent vaccine.
What Are Some Common Side Effects Of 4 Month Shots For Babies
Shots are not fun for babies but luckily babies wont remember getting them! You can prepare yourself by knowing that this kind of health protection might have some mild, common side effects.
Remember, side effects happen because your babys immune system is triggered to build itself by the vaccination. Shots at any age cannot cause the disease they are protecting from.
Normal side effects of 4-month shots in babies include:
- redness or swelling where the shot was given
- pain or tenderness around the shot area
- irritability or fussiness
- severe asthma
Some kinds of medications like steroids can also temporarily weaken the immune system. Your pediatrician may delay 4-month shots if your baby is on steroids or other medications.
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Bedding And Sleep Needs
Whatever bed you choose for your newborn , it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that your baby sleep in the same room with you for the first 6-12 months of life. In addition, bumpers, blankets, pillows, and soft toys are no longer recommended in baby beds. Talk about going minimalistic!
Although the AAP doesnt recommend sharing a bed with your baby, most breastfeeding mothers will fall asleep with their baby in their bed at some point, so its wise to keep a checklist of safe bedsharing guidelines on hand.
How Do Vaccines Work
The dead or weakened germs in vaccines help your child’s immune system to make two important tools: antibodies and immune memory. Together, these tools will help your child recognize and fight off the germs if exposed to them in the future.
Most children are fully protected after they are vaccinated. This means that they will never get serious vaccine-preventable diseases.
In rare cases, children who are vaccinated can still get the disease because they only get partial protection from the vaccine. This is more common in children with a health problem that affects their immune system. They may develop mild symptoms if they are exposed to a disease, but will not suffer serious complications.
It’s just like… seatbelts are not 100% effective at protecting you while driving, but they significantly reduce your risk of being injured.
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What Is The Immune System
The immune system is a special network in the body that protects you from germs, like bacteria and viruses that cause diseases. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system learns how to recognize germs in order to fight them if your child is exposed to them in the future.
Your child is exposed to thousands of germs daily at home, at daycare or in the grocery store. Even a sweet kiss from a brother or sister can be full of germs. Most of these germs are harmless and are easily handled by your child’s immune system. But some germs can make your child very sick.
Thanks to vaccination, your child’s immune system learns how to recognize harmful germs. Vaccines help your child to develop the necessary defences to fight disease, and to stay healthy!
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Type: Guide