Immunizations Specialist

How do immunizations work?

Your body naturally protects you from illness and disease with antibodies, special proteins designed to fight invaders. Babies get some antibodies passed down to them from their mothers, but they don’t last. Babies and children haven’t been exposed to many germs early in life, so they don’t have strong immune systems to protect them from getting sick.

Immunizations introduce an inactive or weakened form of a disease to the body, so it can create antibodies without getting sick. An immunization stimulates the body to fight the disease, and the immune system develops antibodies that can fight the disease if it enters the body later in life. 

What immunizations does my child need?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended vaccination schedules for children based on age. Getting immunizations is often required for daycare programs and public schools.

As children grow, their immune systems develop as well. The immunization schedules developed by the CDC ensure that recommended vaccines are administered at the time when they’re most effective. Some immunizations require multiple doses to be effective.

Talk to the pediatricians at Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics to find out what immunizations are right for your child. When you come for your appointment, be sure to bring your child’s immunization records.

Why are immunizations important?

Vaccines keep kids healthy, stop the spread of many preventable diseases, and improve the general population’s health. At Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics, the pediatric team recommends all vaccinations per the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccination schedules.

Diseases that were once a common cause of childhood death in the United States, such as polio and measles, have virtually disappeared thanks to vaccination technology. Even those diseases that aren’t so common in the United States anymore can still be brought in from other countries. 

Vaccination gives your children immunity to many preventable diseases that they may come in contact with during their lifetimes. Vaccinating also helps stop the spread of disease and even helps keep other people healthy, too, particularly other children and the elderly.

Get comprehensive vaccinations and more at Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics. If you have questions about vaccinations and whether they’re right for your child, talk to the pediatric experts on staff. Schedule your child’s appointment by phone or online today.