Vaccinating Your Child

Thoughts of a crying child or screaming baby come to mind immediately when the word vaccination is mentioned. “This won’t hurt one bit” is the soothing phrase spoken by every doctor right before giving “that” needle. Parents of the past would be surprised to learn about medical advances that have completely eradicated some of the most destructive diseases on earth. Vaccinating your child is an important part of being a responsible parent or guardian and is mandatory in most school districts.

During the first half of the 20^th century thousands of lives were devastated and destroyed as a result of preventable diseases. Diphtheria affected 10,000 lives each year and measles affected a half a million children as well. Polio was one of the most dreaded and feared diseases because it caused paralysis and death in some cases. These statistics build a strong case to support vaccinating your child. Some other reasons are:

1. Immunizations can save a child’s life
2. Vaccines are safe and effective
3. Protects others that may not be able to get vaccinated.
4. Saves money for potentially affected families
5. Protects and preserves future generations

Serious diseases still exist in the world. Americans have been lulled into a false sense of security as a result of successful vaccination programs. Polio, measles and pertussis are still prevalent in some parts of the world. Unvaccinated children and adults are at risk when traveling abroad to countries where these diseases exist. It is absolutely possible to bring back these diseases to the United States increasing the risk for infection. When we fail to vaccinate outbreaks can and do still occur.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the United States is experiencing record numbers of measles cases this year. This spike is attributed to people infected while in the Philippines during a large outbreak. Unvaccinated travelers became infected and brought the disease to the United States. It is important to know your vaccination history to travel safely and avoid infection.

A great deal of controversy surrounds the topic of vaccine safety currently. The vaccine supply in the United States is the safest and most effective to date. All vaccines are rigorously tested and evaluated. Most children tolerate being vaccinated with little more than injection site irritation. Children receiving chemotherapy or have compromised immunity for other reasons may not be able to tolerate being vaccinated.

In part one of this two part series we looked at National Immunization Month held each August. We defined some basic terms and looked at the history of immunization and then we looked at the importance of staying vaccinated for life. To read more about this nationwide observance please refer to our last blog post for more information.

To see the Immunization schedule for Infants and Children from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), click here.

Long Term Acute Care Hospitals were created to serve a once underserved segment of the patient population. This option allows patients who meet the criteria an extended period of time to recover to their highest functional level.   LTACH’s provide comparable levels of care to traditional hospitals and at Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey care is delivered with a team approach achieving the patient’s goals over a longer course of time.   Please contact us at Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey by calling 732.942.3592.   We are conveniently located at 600 River Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey.