What are vaccines?
Vaccines are an important part of preventive care. They teach your immune system to recognize and prepare for certain viruses, bacteria, and other invaders that can make you very sick. Once your immune system recognizes these invaders, it can respond quickly after exposure, so they don’t make you sick.
Contained within each vaccine is either a protein from the disease-causing virus or bacteria or an inactive form of it that won’t affect your health. You get your vaccines in the form of injections, and most of them involve two parts. The first is the protein or inactive pathogen, and the second is called an adjuvant. The adjuvant stimulates your immune system to respond more effectively.
At Kid Care Pediatrics, Dr. Goldstein helps you and your child understand the process of getting vaccines and how they work. He helps you schedule your child’s vaccines at the correct times and makes sure all of them are up to date.
Which vaccines does my child need?
Your child gets vaccines on a specific timeline starting during infancy. While they need many vaccines as babies, some come at different times during childhood and adolescence.
At Kid Care Pediatrics, Dr. Goldstein can vaccinate your child against these and other diseases:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Rotavirus
- Polio
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
- Varicella
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Every year, your child should get the flu vaccine against the influenza virus. The flu vaccine changes from year to year depending on which strains of the virus are most prevalent and infectious during flu season. You should bring your child to Kid Care Pediatrics as soon as the seasonal flu vaccine is available, which is usually around October.
Are vaccines safe?
It’s important to note that vaccines are safe despite some discussion as to whether or not you should vaccinate your children. Each vaccine goes through years of rigorous research to make sure they’re safe before they become available to the public.
Side effects from vaccines are rare, and Dr. Goldstein can answer all of your questions about vaccines and their effects before your child gets them. The diseases that vaccines protect against are far worse than any potential side effects.
Vaccines can strongly benefit entire communities and populations if enough people get them. Thanks to vaccines, people who are especially susceptible to disease are far less likely to come into contact with an infected person.
To find out if your child is up to date on vaccines, call Kid Care Pediatrics or book an appointment online today.