What Shot Do You Need To Be Around A Newborn

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Shu says she’s concerned: “Because they are disproportionately unvaccinated, we are going to see higher numbers from children, as variants like delta take advantage of people who are vulnerable.”

Here’s a guide to the latest science and some practical advice on how to protect a new baby from all variants of the coronavirus.

What Is A Vaccination Schedule

A vaccination schedule is a plan with recommendations for which vaccines your children should get and when they should get them. Vaccines are one of the most important ways to prevent children from getting some dangerous diseases. By exposing you to a germ in a controlled way, vaccines teach your body to recognize and fight it.

Government vaccine recommendations are just that — recommendations. You arent forced to get them. But state laws require your kids to have certain vaccines before they can go to daycare, school, or college, with some exceptions. Vaccines protect not just your child, but everyone they come in contact with. The more people who get vaccinated, the harder it is for a disease to spread.

Before theyre approved for use and added to the schedule, vaccines go through years of testing to make sure they work and that theyre safe. The government keeps track of any reports of side effects to make sure no problems come up.

How Do I Spot Whooping Cough In My Baby

Be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits that may be accompanied by difficulty breathing or vomiting after coughing, and the characteristic “whoop” sound.

If you are worried your baby may have whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.

Read more about whooping cough vaccination in the leaflet Whooping cough and pregnancy from Public Health England.

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Visitors After The Baby 10 Tips For New Parents

Do you feel special when you’re pregnant? Well, step aside, Lady, because a baby is here and people love babies.

The dilemma that comes with having this little rock star in your home now is that billions of people will want to come visit it. Some will be helpful, some will not.

So here are a few handy tips I’ve picked up along the way so you’re able to show your magnificent little miracle off to the world like Simba in The Lion King.

Don’t let anyone stay with you that you can’t cry in front of or you can’t tell to “shut up”

There may be a few people that offer to stay with you when the baby comes. This can be a Godsend or a sh!tshow. Really think about that person and how much you want them to see behind the curtain. You may be too tired to delicately say, “I know she’s not latching properly, but I’m just trying to get the hang of it,” and instead say, “See off? You need to f#ck right to it!”

Spread out the visitors.

People love to see the baby immediately. That, or they feel obliged to see the baby immediately. Either way, try to spread them out as much as you can so you can get settled and enjoy everyone’s company long after the fanfare typically dies down. Try not to book too far in advance either, you seriously may feel great the day after you give birth and feel like a back alley crack whore by week two.

Go to people that you think will overstay their welcome — don’t have them come to you

These are the people you should meet for a coffee or go to their place.

Do I Need To Avoid Being Around Infants After Getting A Shingles Vaccine

Flu

Paul Offit, MD: Hi, my name is Paul Offit. Im talking to you today from the Vaccine Education Center, here at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

One question people and often grandparents have is, Can I be around people if Ive gotten the shingles vaccine? So, what is shingles? Shingles is a reactivation, or reawakening, of a previous chickenpox infection. So, if you had chickenpox as a child, that virus lives silently, or latently, in the nervous system. And sometimes when you get older or when you have a particularly severe infection or youre on chemotherapy, for example, that virus can reawaken and then travel down a so-called nerve route and cause a pretty severe, debilitating, painful reaction called shingles. Its one of the worst pains in medicine, so its certainly worth preventing.

Thank you.

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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.”

Do You Recommend These Same Vaccines For Grandparents And Other Family Members Who Will Be In Close Contact With The Newborn

I do. All close contacts to the newborn should be vaccinated with the annual influenza vaccine at least 2 weeks before meeting the baby.

They should also have had Tdap in the last 10 years. If they have not received that vaccine, they should get a Tdap booster at least 2 weeks before meeting the baby.

Read: How to Prepare for Flu Season: A Family Guide

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Even Moderate Covid Restrictions Can Slow The Spread Of The Virus If They’re Timely

If someone home with the baby is sick , keep them away from the baby as much as possible. “We highly recommend that people who are sick are not around babies they don’t kiss the babies, they don’t have very close contact face to face,” Muñoz says.

If the parent or any direct caregiver gets sick or feels they might be coming down with something and is the only one to care for the infant, Muñoz recommends that they put on a mask when around the baby, especially if they’re symptomatic. “In some cases, it’s even been recommended to completely separate the person who’s ill even if it’s the mother from the baby when there is a high risk of transmission,” she adds.

The Vaccine Is Highly Effective But It’s Not Foolproof

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Both Pfizer and Moderna require two doses, while Johnson & Johnson is a single-dose shot. All available vaccines are highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19. That said, breakthrough cases are possible as immunity wanes over time, especially with the contagious Delta variant spreading across the country. And while most breakthrough cases are mild or asymptotic, severe illness can happen on rare occasions.

Make sure to keep these facts in mind when mulling over questions like “Can I hug my grandchildren after the vaccine?” or “Can I visit my grandparents?” You simply don’t know whether your relatives will still be susceptible to COVID-19 after vaccination.

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How Can I Get The Whooping Cough Vaccination

The vaccine is available from your GP, though some antenatal clinics also offer it. You may be offered the vaccination at a routine antenatal appointment from around 16 weeks of your pregnancy.

If you are more than 16 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the vaccine, talk to your midwife or GP and make an appointment to get vaccinated.

Should Grandparents Get New Vaccinations

As schools reopen all over the country, parents are reminded to update their kids vaccinations. But who reminds the grandparents? Well this year its the University of Texas Health San Antonio. Part of the University of Texas System, the health science education and research institute is urging parents and grandparents to make sure they are also up to date on vaccines.

cheerful young nurse giving a vaccine injection to elderly woman at home

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A vaccine, or immunization, by definition, is a way to build the body’s natural immune system to fight a disease, said Johanna Matos, APRN, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing. Vaccination provides a buildup of antibodies or soldiers in your body to fight off and prevent you from getting sick and spreading a specific disease.

Matos said its important for kids that grandparents get vaccinated because disease does not respect geographical borders. It travels as easily as people and products spreading the disease to anyone. One child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine. It is critical that children, especially those younger than 5 years of age, stay up to date with the recommended immunization schedule.

According to AARP, the baby boom has become the grandparent boom there are now more grandparents in the U.S. than ever beforesome 70 million, according to the latest census. That’s a 24 percent increase since 2001.

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Should I Be Concerned About Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a highly infectious, serious illness that can lead to pneumonia and brain damage, particularly in young babies. Most babies with whooping cough will need hospital treatment, and when whooping cough is very severe they may die.

Research from the vaccination programme in England shows that vaccinating pregnant women against whooping cough has been highly effective in protecting young babies until they can receive their own vaccinations from 8 weeks of age.

In keeping with usual disease patterns, which see cases increasing every 3 to 4 years in England, whooping cough cases have fallen in all age groups since 2012. The greatest fall has been in young babies targeted by the pregnancy vaccination programme.

Cases of whooping cough in older age groups are still high compared to pre-2012 levels. The number of cases was particularly high in 2016, in line with the typical 3- to 4-yearly peak in disease rates.

Babies can be infected by people with whooping cough in these older age groups, so it is still important for pregnant women to be vaccinated to protect their babies.

Why Is It Important To Keep Track Of Your Child’s Vaccination

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Proof of vaccination may be requested. In some parts of Canada, children need to have all of their vaccinations up to date before starting school or daycare. This is needed to help prevent the spread of serious diseases in these settings.

Also, your child’s vaccination history is helpful if you ever need to take your child to see another healthcare provider or travel outside of Canada.

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Symptoms After Baby Vaccinations

Occasionally, some babies have mild reactions to vaccines. Soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site are the most common side effects. Some kids also get a low-grade fever. Any of these side effects will likely make your child cranky or upset. Feel free to cuddle and breast or bottle feed your child as usual to comfort them. Giving them the appropriate dose of infant Advil or Tylenol will also bring their fever down, and ease any soreness.

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.

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What Are The Side Effects Of The Whooping Cough Vaccine

You may have some mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness where the vaccine is injected in your upper arm, just as you would with any vaccine. These only last a few days. Other side effects can include fever, irritation at the injection site, swelling of the vaccinated arm, loss of appetite, irritability and headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

Experts Don’t Know Whether People Can Still Spread Covid

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The vaccines are designed to protect vaccinated individuals from getting sick. Clinical trials didn’t test whether they could still spread SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, says Dr. Olivero. Vaccines usually prevent transmission, and while early data indicates the COVID-19 vaccine might do the same, experts still aren’t 100 percent sure of the specifics. Indeed, it seems that the Delta variant could still be transmitted by vaccinated individuals.

Why is this important for families? There areno vaccines currently available for children under the age of 12. “Although children have not been shown to get as sick from COVID-19, it is still possible for them to catch the virus and unknowingly spread it,” says Sandra Adams, PhD, Virologist and Professor of Biology at Montclair State University. In other words, your kids could possibly contract the coronavirus from vaccinated family members, although the risk is minimal.

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Late In Pregnancy: Vaccines And Tests For Mom

Babies get their first vaccinations and preventive care before theyre even born. They get this protection through you.Tdap VaccineEvery woman should get the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of every pregnancy. It doesnt matter if you had the vaccine as a child, had a booster as an adult, or if you got one with your last baby. Get it again. The Tdap vaccine protects you against three diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis .Whooping cough is especially dangerous for babies. Most whooping cough deaths are in infants too young to get the vaccine themselves. When you get the vaccine during pregnancy, it has a two-fold effect:

  • Your immunity is boosted, reducing the chance that you catch the illness from another person and pass it on to your baby after birth.
  • It allows you to pass on antibodies through the placenta and breast milk, giving your baby short-term protection until their immune system develops enough to receive the first vaccination.

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Should You Insist Friends And Family Get A Flu Shot Before They See Your Baby

Here’s what you need to know to protect your little one against this year’s flu.

When Joanna Richardsons family came to see her two-month-old baby girl in Washington, DC, recently, she had one important question before she let them in the door: Did you get your flu shot?

Weve been super-worried about the flu this year,says Richardson, who has has been hearing nonstop stories on the news about this flu seasons deadly toll. Weve asked all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents to get the flu shot before they hold they baby. With friends, we just say, If youre sick, dont come over. Healthy friends who visit are asked to be extra-careful washing hands, Richardson says.

Like Richardson, parents of babies and small children all over the country are being more vigilant this year about asking friends and family to verify that theyve been vaccinated before they get within cuddling distance of their child. And while some relatives may roll their eyes and complain of todays overprotective parents, there is every reason to be extra cautious.

First of all, babies cant get a flu vaccine until theyre six months old, meaning their best barrier of protection before then is to make sure theyre not exposed to the influenza virus at all.

Here are a few tips to make the Vaccine or no baby! convo easier on you and your family:

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