Parenting is hard enough. Remembering your child’s immunization schedule can be tricky. Fortunately, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has created clear immunization schedules for newborns, toddlers, and young adults.
Immunizations are an important, and often under-appreciated part of school safety. Schools around the country require certain vaccinations to protect students and teachers from serious illnesses.
Indiana’s school immunization requirements show required and recommended vaccinations for students from pre-k through 12th grade.
At Heart City Health, our pediatrics service offers programs to help our patients keep up with vaccinations they need to stay well. Ask about our Vaccines for Children program next time you make a pediatric appointment.
While there’s no vaccine for COVID-19 yet, keeping up with other immunizations is more important than ever to help prevent the spread of other vaccine-preventable illnesses.
We understand that temporary closings or concerns of coming in for appointments may have you behind on your child’s immunizations. That’s okay. Please contact our pediatric office to create a new immunization plan to catch them up on critical vaccines or prepare them for the upcoming school year.
It’s common to hear conversations debating the safety or importance of vaccinations. We understand that vaccines can be scary. No one likes shots and rumors surrounding vaccinations have made them out to be more threatening than the illnesses they prevent.
Vaccinations are important and they are safe.
One way to combat fear surrounding vaccines is to understand more about what’s in them and how they’re made and approved for use. This video about vaccines helps describe that process to eliminate the fears surrounding immunizations.
Delaying or avoiding vaccinations puts your child at risk. Disease exposure can happen anywhere from a simple trip to the grocery store to a visit with someone who has returned from a trip abroad. Some vaccine-preventable illnesses cause serious complications like hospitalization (which can incur hefty fees), permanent damage, and death.
If you decide not to fully vaccinate your child, it’s your responsibility to tell your child’s school, childcare, hospital and other facilities that your child is not up to date with their vaccinations. Other countries often require certain vaccinations before going abroad, so do your research before planning your next vacation if you plan to avoid vaccinations.
Learn more about the importance of vaccinations and the risks of delaying vaccinations before you make your final decision.