Keep your child’s vaccinations up to date

It’s more important now than ever to stay up to date with your child’s vaccine schedule, according to pediatricians at UHS. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, staying on track with childhood immunizations is vital. Doctors stress that parents should keep regular well-child appointments for checkups and vaccinations. If a pediatric patient becomes vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases and is then infected with COVID, he or she is at increased risk of serious complications.

There is no better time to get on track with your child’s vaccinations than National Infant Immunization Week, which highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine preventable diseases, as well as celebrating the achievements of immunization programs in promoting health. This year the week is observed from April 24 to 30.

Generations of American children have received childhood immunizations, starting with the whooping cough vaccine in 1914. Other vaccines were added to the list through the years, including those for measles and polio. In the 1990s, vaccines were developed against pneumococcal disease and chicken pox. The roster of recommended vaccines has been created with extensive safety and efficacy reviews by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Over time, vaccine formulations have been fine-tuned to produce the optimal immune response using the lowest amount of antigen. We want our patients’ parents to trust the science behind vaccinations, not rumors based on fear, doctors have stated. Pediatricians and other physicians went into medicine to help protect patients and would not administer anything they thought would cause more harm than good.

Vaccines are victims of their own success. Most parents today have never seen a case of paralytic polio or measles, even though these viruses still circulate in the United States.

It’s also important to remember that vaccines don’t just keep your child healthy--they confer herd immunity, protecting immunocompromised individuals in our families, neighborhoods, and communities.  

Physicians' offices have made changes to optimize patient and family safety, including pre-screening patients by phone before scheduled appointments. Exam rooms are cleaned between patients, and staff members follow rigorous hand hygiene procedures.

Call now to talk with your child's provider about immunizations. Get more information on UHS Pediatric Services by clicking here.