All About Immunizations

During well-child visits your child's doctor will give any vaccines that are due, check your child's growth and development, and test vision and hearing starting at age 3.  

Vaccines protect your child by immunizing him or her against certain diseases. Many of these vaccines protect your child for life. Some vaccines will be given as one shot (dose) or a series of shots (two or more doses). When available, we might give your child vaccines that are combined together in one shot.  

For your child to be completely immunized against a disease, he or she must get all the recommended doses. There have been outbreaks of serious diseases in children who did not get fully immunized.  

If you have a record of your child's immunizations, please bring it with you to your child's appointment. That way we can make sure we have the most up-to-date information.  

Even if your child isn't due for vaccines, be sure to bring him or her in for a well-child visit. These visits give your child's doctor a chance to find and treat any concerns early. It's also a good time for you to ask any questions you have about your child's health.

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Newborn blood screen

Your baby will get the newborn blood screen before leaving the hospital. This test looks for certain conditions so we can treat them early, before they lead to more serious health problems. DTaP Protects against three diseases:

• Diphtheria can damage the heart, kidneys, and nerves. About one person in ten who gets diphtheria will die from it.
• Tetanus (lockjaw) causes severe muscle spasms that make it hard to breathe. Tetanus happens when the tetanus bacteria infects a wound. About six people in ten who get tetanus will die from it.
• Pertussis (whooping cough) causes severe coughing. It can also cause convulsions, brain damage, and death. Very young children are at the greatest risk of complications due to pertussis.

Tdap

Protection from the DTaP vaccines can fade over time. To keep immunity strong, adolescents and adults need booster vaccines. Tdap is used as a booster vaccine for adolescents and adults to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Pertussis can cause death in infants up to 6 months old. For this reason, anyone who has regular contact with an infant younger than 6 months old should get a Tdap booster.

Hepatitis A

Protects against hepatitis A, which can cause severe liver problems.

Hepatitis B

Protects against hib”> Protects from Haemophilus influenzae type b, which causes severe infections of the brain, blood, joints, bones, skin, and throat. It most often affects children younger than five years old.

HPV

Protects against diseases caused by the specific genital human papillomaviruses (HPV) contained in the vaccine. These HPV viruses can cause genital warts, anal cancer, and precancers of the cervix, vulva, and vagina.

Influenza (flu)

Protect against yearly flu viruses, which spread quickly from person to person. The flu can be very serious, causing high fever, seizures, and diarrhea. It can also lead to more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia, and make chronic health problems worse.

IPV

Protects against polio, a severe crippling disease. About one person in ten who gets polio will die from it.

MMR

Protects against three diseases: • Measles, which causes fever and rash. It also can cause convulsions, deafness, and blindness. • Mumps, which causes fever and swelling of glands in the throat. It also can cause deafness, brain damage, and sterility in males. • Rubella (German measles), which usually causes only a mild illness in children but is very easy to catch. If a pregnant woman gets infected with rubella, it can cause miscarriage or birth defects in her unborn child.

MCV

Protects against meningitis, which is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord and causes blood infections.

PCV

Protects against infection from the pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause ear infections, meningitis, blood infections, and pneumonia. Pneumococcal infections can be serious and may lead to death.

Rotavirus

Protects against rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea in infants and young children. It may also cause fever and vomiting. The vaccine is given in three doses orally (by mouth). The doses are recommended at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The first dose should be given between 6 and 14 weeks of age. The series should be complete by 8 months of age.

Varicella

Protects against chickenpox, a potentially dangerous illness that can lead to death. If your child has had chickenpox, he or she might already be immune and may not need to be vaccinated. Discuss this with your child's doctor.