Vaccinations are essential when it comes to babyhood in most parts by shielding your little one from different diseases. Whether you fall in millennial or Gen Z categories or you are an individual from the boomer generation, you know that vaccination is very important. The slogans like Don’t hesitate vaccinate, Prevent Birth Defects, Two Drops of Life, or Stop Polio, Vaccinate all point to this vital preventive measure.
Information about posting baby vaccinations may cause new parents to be confused. Here’s everything you should know about vaccinating your baby-from the do’s to the don’ts.
many questions are often raised, such as When is the best time to vaccinate my baby? Can vaccinations be delayed? What should I do to care for my child after vaccination?
And many more related questions will be dealt with, along with very important practical advice on how to navigate this vital stage of parenthood.
What is Vaccination?
Vaccination, introducing a vaccination to help the child’s body fight disease, is called. Vaccines are actually tiny, safe pieces of germs that the immune system learns how to protect itself against these germs. So, when the child comes in contact with the illness later, the body remembers how to combat it.
What are the Benefits of Vaccinating your Child?
It is very important to immunize your child against serious diseases like measles, mumps, and whooping cough. Vaccines also ensure that these diseases do not spread to others within the community.
Understanding how vaccines work:
Vaccines teach the immune system to recognize and fight specific germs. Tiny amounts of dead or weakened germs, or parts of the germs, are included in their formulation. When the immune systems come across these portions, they develop a memory and thus learn how to combat genuine germs that will invade the body later on in life.
Time for Vaccinations
Vaccination to your child happens a lot in time. According to the Universal Immunization Programme, the initiation of this is at the time of birth. Earlier than any day from the date of birth, children can receive their first doses from the BCG immunization, the OPV for polio, and the Hepatitis B vaccine for liver infection.
Child Vaccination schedule
The following is a simple guideline to follow when keeping the vaccination schedule to protect your child.
At Birth: Hepatitis B
2 Months: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), IPV (polio), PCV (pneumococcal conjugate), Rotavirus
4 Months: DTaP, Hib, IPV, PCV, Rotavirus
6 Months: DTaP, Hib, IPV, PCV, Rotavirus, Influenza (every year)
12-15 Months: Hib, PCV, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis A
18 Months: DTaP, Hepatitis A (second dose)
4-6 Years: DTaP, IPV, MMR, Varicella
11-12 Years: Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), HPV (human papillomavirus), Meningococcal
Why Timely vaccination is important.
Vaccines are most effective at the right age and in the specific doses. Certain diseases are prevalent in specific age groups, and hence vaccines are administered at that time to prevent diseases.
For example, polio is common in children under five years of age; so the polio vaccine is given to all these children through routine checkups and special campaigns for vaccination.
The National Immunization Schedule on the National Website clearly delineates which vaccines must be taken by a child, at what time, and in how many doses to ensure complete immunity.
What If Vaccinations Are Delayed?
if your child has missed a vaccination or a dose, you need to immunize him/her without wasting any time. No need for restarting the entire vaccination schedule. Just continue from where you left off and complete the remaining doses as recommended, and your child will still get the full protection he/she needs.
Before Your Baby Gets Vaccinated:
Would there still be a change on the vaccination schedule if the baby has some form of cold, cough, fever?
Your baby can always get vaccinated even if his or her though minor ailment is a cold, cough, perhaps mild fever, or even mild diarrhea. The most important thing to remember before having a vaccine given to your child is that any serious condition, such as a high fever or diarrhea, warrants a visit to the doctor and suggests that the vaccination should be postponed until health has improved.
What to Expect After Vaccination and How to Care for Your Child
1. Is there a duration for which my baby will have pain after the vaccination?
It is normal for injectable vaccines to cause some redness, swelling, and mild aching at the injection site for few days. These are symptoms that will not go over night but usually do take about 1-3 days to completely subside and do not indicate any real trouble with the vaccine.
For relief to your baby, gently apply a clean cloth soaked with cold water on the affected area. If your healthcare provider prescribes paracetamol dosage, you may also administer the same to your child. If symptoms persist for more than three days, definitely call up your doctor.
2. Why does my baby have fever after vaccination and what do I do?
It is normal for babies to run a slight fever after the Pentavalent and DPT vaccinations, but this is only because the vaccine is introduced. The mild fever is expected because it’s short-lived only lasting 1 to 2 days. Paracetamol as prescribed by your healthcare provider can be given to your baby for its reduction.
3. Is it safe to take several vaccinations during the same session?
Yes, it is quite okay for your child to have two or more vaccines at the same time. That will not affect the vaccine efficacy nor shall it harm them in any way. Indeed, it is very time-saving and easy to make just one clinic visit for several immunizations.
4. Why should children be immunized against polio even if India is declared polio-free?
While India is free from polio, the virus still exists in other countries. An infected person can introduce the virus back into India. This is why it is important to continue vaccinating children regularly and by pulse polio campaign methodologies.
Post Vaccination Precautions:
Following your child’s vaccination, keep watch for the following common side effects and know what to do about them:
Wait for thirty minutes: Post vaccination, remain at least half-an-hour in the clinic; in case of minor reactions.
Feeding: Continue breastfeeding or giving baby complementary foods even after access to oral vaccines.
Injection Site Care: Do not apply any creams, ointments, or herbs to the injection site.
Soreness: Apply a cool, damp cloth on the sore spot. Motions of angrier shall be greeted with cuddly hugging, a little relaxation, distraction with such things as toys and books could be involved.
For deep reactions, breathing difficulty, instant medical attention must be sought.
Vaccinations would be crucial to preventing the spread of infection in the community, especially to those with weaker immune systems. Parents must know the importance of vaccines and their benefits for their child or keeping him safe from the rest of the world’s threats.