One of the most important parts of a well-child care visit is the administration of vaccines. Parents in Cumming and throughout Forsyth County trust the experts at their local pediatric clinic to follow the standard immunization schedule for their child to keep them safe. With many questions entering the conversation lately, we’d like to share five reasons vaccines remain a principal element of your child’s overall health.
5 Reasons Vaccines Matter for Your Child’s Health
There is currently vaccine hesitancy amongst some parents, due to certain information available on the internet. Vaccines are still critical to your child’s health, development and safety. We know parents want only what is best for their children, and pediatric primary care doctors have a responsibility and duty to let you know there is a great amount of evidence supporting vaccine safety and positive health outcomes for children.
1. Vaccines Protect Newborn Immune System Development
One of the top tips for preventing common newborn illnesses is vaccination. It doesn’t take long for a mother’s antibodies passed to the child to disappear. A newborn’s immune system, much like the rest of their body, is in development. Vaccines train their vulnerable systems to recognize and fight off infections like rotavirus, Hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria.
2. Disease Prevention
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, pediatric primary care doctors recommend immunizations because of the volumes of evidence behind the efficacy of vaccines for disease prevention. Pediatricians dedicate their lives to helping your family live well and thrive. Your child’s health is important to them too.
There are many preventable communicable diseases, which have lessened effects for breakthrough infections when parents follow pediatric vaccine schedules. Measles and polio practically disappeared in the U.S. until a recent resurgence. A vaccine can prevent hospitalization or worse outcomes.
3. Fewer Complications From Sickness
Viruses like the flu and COVID are deterred greatly by vaccines. Each year, the flu shot curbs the spread of infection by up to 60%, according to the American Medical Association. And for those who are vaccinated but have a breakthrough infection, symptoms are less severe, leading to fewer hospitalizations and deaths.
It’s important to speak with your pediatrician about the proper administration and timing of these helpful immunizations and others like them. Dosage and vaccine scheduling is dependent upon your child’s age. These vaccines protect your children, you and those around you.
4. Community Immunity
When many kids and families are vaccinated, it leads to better immunity for communities and cities. The viral load and medications work together inside your child’s body to strengthen their immune system, preparing it to fight a specific disease.
When that disease cannot take hold in the child or spread from person to person, it can disappear, leading to healthier and happier communities. This is of great help to people who are immunocompromised and unable to be vaccinated, to keep them safe too. This is one of the reasons parents must show immunization records at school for pre-school and school-aged children. Vaccinations keep sickness from shutting down many schools.
5. Keep Children Safe
Most vaccines go through years of rigorous development and testing for safety long before they get to children. There is unfortunately great misinformation about vaccines online. But generations of children and adults have been saved by technological advances and scientific breakthroughs in vaccines and medicine.
Vaccines have helped pediatric healthcare providers to safely and compassionately care for children with evidence-based research for years now. We hope this information can give you peace and confidence.
Schedule Pediatric Vaccines With a Trusted Cumming Pediatric Clinic
When your family is looking for a pediatric primary care doctor in Cumming, Buford, Dawsonville, Gainesville, Johns Creek, Sugar Hill, Suwanee and Forsyth County, know that Vickery Pediatrics is accepting new patients. We provide care for children, from newborns to young adults who are 21 years old, including vaccine distribution. If you have any questions, give us a call today at (678) 990-2501, or request an appointment now.
