4 Vaccines That Can Save Your Child’s Life

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:40:25 +0000

There’s a lot of discussion these days about vaccines. Many people are concerned about giving their children too many vaccines because of the additives that they contain, a risk of reaction to the vaccine and even a possible link to autism. And, while it is important for each parent to evaluate vaccines so that they can make informed decisions for their children, there are some vaccines that are significantly important for your children. In fact, these four vaccines can actually save your children’s lives.

1. Rotavirus Vaccines – Opponents of this vaccine will tell you that the vaccine is not necessary because rotavirus only causes diarrhea. However, what you may not realize is that each year half a million children die from this diarrhea and another two million are hospitalized from it. While it’s true that some children will have a fairly manageable case of diarrhea from the disease, it’s impossible to know whether your child will be one of the ones who has a life threatening case.
2. Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) –This disease is a life threatening illness caused by bacteria. It usually strikes children under the age of five and can cause a wide range of infections, including meningitis, an infection of the spinal cord and brain, pneumonia and even infections of the blood, covering of the heart and the joints. Your children should have four doses of the vaccine, beginning at two months of age.
3. Rubeola Vaccine – This is the vaccine against measles. Though measles is a very rare disease in our country today, experts still recommend that children be vaccinated against it before they begin school. In areas where vaccination is not prevalent, the measles still kills children every year. It is rare today only because we have maintained a strict schedule of vaccinating our children. Today’s children typically receive this vaccination through the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
4. Polio Vaccine – Polio is much like measles, in that we have virtually eradicated it through proper vaccination of our population. But, many of us still have relatives alive who suffered from the illness before the vaccine was invented. It is a serious illness that can result in paralysis. The only way for us to keep it an illness of the past is to continue vaccinating against it.

Many parents are looking for some sort of alternative to the conventional vaccination schedule for their children. And, while many doctors are still very traditional in their thinking about the vaccination schedule, there is definitely change coming, because parents are demanding it. So, work with your doctor in determining the right vaccines and the right schedule for your child. If your doctor is inflexible, it might be time to find a new doctor. But, through it all, keep in mind that the vaccinations listed here are still very important for your child’s health. You should find a way to ensure that your child is vaccinated against these serious illnesses in a way that makes you feel comfortable.

P. Zerkle writes about how to find nurse practitioner programs.

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4 Vaccines That Can Save Your Child’s Life

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