Is your child due for vaccinations during his or her next visit to Timberlake Pediatrics in Sacramento, CA? Vaccinations not only protect your child's health but also help prevent the spread of disease.
How do vaccines protect my child?
Vaccines contain a small amount of a killed or inactive virus. The injections help your child's body learn how to recognize dangerous viruses. If your child is ever exposed to the virus in the future, his or her immune system will quickly identify and kill the virus, preventing your son or daughter from becoming seriously ill.
What are the benefits of vaccines?
Advantages of vaccines include:
- Reduced Risk of Serious Illness or Death: Vaccines are provided for illnesses that can make children very sick or cause future health complications or even death. Polio, a disease that caused complications ranging from breathing and muscle problems to paralysis to death, was a public health threat in the early part of the 20th century. Thanks to the polio vaccine, the disease is no longer an issue in the United States today. Other vaccines are just as effective in preventing illnesses that tend to occur during childhood.
- Mild Side Effects: Vaccines usually only cause mild side effects, including pain at the site of the injection, mild fever, and irritability. These side effects usually only last a day or two.
- Safety: Long before vaccines are approved for use in children and adults, they're tested in multiple research studies. Only vaccines that meet strict safety requirements are approved.
- Protection for the Entire Community: The more people who are vaccinated against disease, the less likely it will spread in your community and across the country. Vaccinating children and adults also protects people who can't receive vaccinations for health reasons and babies too young to receive vaccines from becoming sick.
Which vaccines does my child need?
These vaccines are currently recommended for children:
- Rotavirus
- Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis
- Pneumococcal conjugate
- Hepatitis A and B
- Varicella
- Measles, mumps and rubella
- Polio
- Haemophilus influenzae type B
- Meningococcal conjugate
- Meningococcal b
- Human papillomavirus
- Influenza
Are you ready to schedule your child's vaccinations? Call the Sacramento, CA, pediatricians at Timberlake Pediatrics at (916) 688-5040 to schedule your son or daughter's appointment.