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12.22.20
Importance of vaccines for children

Vaccines are key to preventing diseases and saving lives. Here are some reasons why you should vaccinate your child.

Vaccines can save your child’s life.

Making sure your child receives the recommended vaccines is critical to help prevent your child from getting serious diseases and to keep them healthy. Vaccines strengthen your child’s immune system by introducing small amounts of antigens, foreign substances, to help their immune system recognize and fight off diseases. Unvaccinated children are at risk of getting seriously ill from harmful diseases that they may not be strong enough to fight off. Before vaccines existed, many children have died due to diseases, such as measles, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and mumps, which used to be prevalent across the country. These germs still exist today, however, these diseases are not nearly as commonplace as they once were thanks to vaccines.

Vaccines are safe and effective.

Each vaccine goes through years of testing before it is licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The FDA, CDC and other federal agencies continue to monitor the quality, safety and effectiveness of vaccines. In addition, national organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of Infection Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), continue to support research to test vaccines and their safety.

Vaccines may cause a reaction, as will any medication. Mild reactions to vaccinations in children include, discomfort, pain, swelling, fussiness and fever. Applying a clean, cool washcloth on the area where the vaccine was given may help provide some comfort. Mild reactions will go away after a few days. According to the CDC, serious reactions to vaccines are extremely rare, but may include, severe allergic reaction and very high fever. According to the OIDP, the benefits of getting the vaccines are much higher than the possible side effects of the vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about vaccines.

Vaccines protect others around you.

Keep you, your loved ones and those in your community safe by getting you and your family vaccinated. Vaccines are important and beneficial for both the person receiving the vaccine, as well as the unvaccinated people around them by preventing the spread of the diseases. The more people who are vaccinated in the population, the less likely the disease can spread. Some individuals are unable to receive a vaccine, such as a child who is too young to receive the vaccine at that point in time. Some people may not be able to get vaccinated due to severe allergies or a weakened immune system from other conditions. These unvaccinated individuals are at higher risk of getting the disease. Therefore, to help keep everyone safe, it is important for those who are able to be vaccinated, to do so. 

Vaccines help save your family money.

Vaccines not only save lives, but they can save your family money as well. Without vaccines, your child is at risk of contracting a disease that can cause serious illness, disability and death. This impacts families physically, emotionally as well as financially. This can be very costly due to medical bills from hospitalizations, doctor visits and medications. In addition, parents may need to take time off from work, which may result in lost income.

Vaccines can help save your family money by avoiding the costs of getting serious diseases. Most health insurances cover the cost of vaccines, meaning little or no cost to you. Those without health insurance can also get vaccinated at a low cost or for free. For example, the Vaccines for Children program provides recommended vaccines for free to children from low-income families.

Keep you and your family safe by getting vaccinated. For more information about vaccines, visit the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/vaccines.

Vaccine shot