There has been a lot of debate over the years about whether parents should immunize their children or not, and this debate shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. One thing that cannot be debated is that childhood mortality is at an all-time low in the US, with diseases such as polio, tetanus, and diphtheria being eliminated or proving less fatal than in the past. However, as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported, there are still a lot of serious diseases out there, and many kids are left at unnecessary risk.
In our globalized world, with the population increasing and the borders between towns, cities, and countries becoming more blurred, diseases can spread at an alarming rate if precautions are not taken. But this is just one of the reasons to immunize your child, and in this post, we will detail other reasons all parents should consider.
Getting Your Kid’s Life off to a Healthy Start
When you first have a baby, they will have a limited amount of immunity passed on from the mother during the pregnancy. However, this wears off quickly, and your child will soon be exposed to bacteria and germs that their little body has no defense against. The CDC has put together a helpful schedule to help parents manage vaccinations and to ensure that as many children as possible are adequately protected.
Immunizations give your newborn a solid foundation as their immune system starts to develop, which in turn helps them enjoy their childhood without any significant problems. Simple issues like diarrhea and common colds can potentially become medical emergencies, which is why the (CDC) recommends babies start their vaccination protocol at a very early stage.
Short-Term Discomfort, Long-Term Benefits
If your child contracts a serious illness, it can have a massive impact on the quality of life of all family members, with medical bills and loss of earnings being just some of the consequences. Also, your child will have to take some time off school, which can hurt their development.
Parents and children alike are unlikely to enjoy the process of getting a shot, but this short-term discomfort is far outweighed by the long-term benefits of your child leading a full and active life. The shots significantly reduce their risk of contracting some serious diseases and the complications that accompany them. The vaccinations are covered by most insurance plans, and there are affordable plans in place for low-income families.
Protect the Community
As kids grow, they become more inquisitive and start to put their hands and feet in places they shouldn’t. This in itself is not a problem, but when coupled with a poor awareness of personal hygiene, it is easy to see why germs are quickly spread around the school community. Therefore, most schools ask parents to keep their kids at home if they have a stomach bug, common cold, or other such conditions. It helps keep the bugs from spreading.
The same is true of more serious preventable diseases. For example, if there are many children in a school that is not immunized, any sudden outbreak of the flu or other childhood illness could spread like wildfire. As you can see, this situation is entirely avoidable because if all kids were immunized, the impact of an outbreak would be limited.
These days, most states have guidelines in place that require kids to have physicals before starting at a new school, and in some cases, schools can decline to accept your child during the current school year until their shots are up-to-date.
Still Unsure Which Way To Go?
There is a lot to think about when making these decisions, and we completely understand that new parents may feel overwhelmed. That is why our staff are on hand to help you with any concerns and questions you may have about immunizations.
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