Vaccines have dramatically reduced, if not eliminated, the incidence of many dangerous and contagious diseases in the United States. As soon as your baby is born, set up an appointment with Dr. Sean Flynn, the pediatrician at Step by Step Pediatrics, PC, in Bloomfield, New Jersey, to provide your newborn with the best possible defenses against these potentially serious diseases.
Vaccines provide immunization against contracting and spreading potentially life-threatening diseases. Vaccines work by introducing small amounts of a biologically-prepared weakened or dead form of a virus, that prompts your child’s immune system to recognize and fight the organism. Once your child’s body understands how to fight the weakened version of the disease, cells are left behind in your child’s body that combat any future exposure.
As soon as your child is born, your baby’s immune system is hard at work protecting your child, which is why Dr. Flynn recommends starting your vaccination schedule soon after birth. Most vaccines are administered and boosted during the first two years of your baby’s life, although some vaccinations may need to be updated later.
Dr. Flynn will provide you with a recommended vaccination schedule to make sure your baby gets the protection he or she needs for a healthy, happy start in life.
Vaccines provide protection against 14 diseases before your baby turns two, including:
As your child ages, further vaccinations also provide protection against the flu and the human papillomavirus (HPV).
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding vaccinations recently, but the bottom line is that vaccines work. The incidence of all of the diseases that vaccines defend against has dropped considerably since the introduction of vaccines.
For example, in 2000, the Center for Disease Control declared that vaccinations eradicated measles in the United States. Vaccines not only provide protection against serious, preventable diseases, they also prevent the spread of diseases.
Vaccines are generally safe. If there are side effects, they may include:
These side effects generally resolve themselves in a day or two. But if they persist, call to make an appointment with Bloomfield, NJ pediatrician Dr. Flynn. In rare cases, allergic reactions have been reported, but they can be dealt with promptly at his office.