As a parent, ensuring the health and well-being of your child is the utmost priority. One of the most effective ways to safeguard their health is following the immunization schedule. Immunizations, or vaccinations, offer several benefits that extend beyond immediate protection from specific diseases.
Let’s delve into six reasons why following the immunization schedule is essential for your child’s and the community’s health.
1. Early Protection
The immunization schedule offers early protection for your child, protecting them against vaccine-preventable illnesses before exposure. Infants are especially vulnerable to these diseases, which can cause severe illness or death.
For instance, pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that can be fatal to babies. Therefore, the pertussis vaccine is given as early as two months after birth as part of neonatal care.
2. Every Dose and Vaccination Count
Vaccines safeguard against particular diseases that pose significant risks. Certain vaccines, such as the DTaP vaccine (guards against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), require multiple doses to ensure strong immunity to your child or rejuvenate fading immunity. Other vaccines, like Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination, are administered in two doses since a child may not respond to the initial dose.
3. Protecting Others
Children who miss timely immunizations are susceptible to vaccine-preventable illnesses and may also transmit these diseases to vulnerable individuals, such as infants too young for vaccinations and those medically unable to receive vaccines. By ensuring timely immunization for your child, you not only safeguard them but also contribute to the protection of your family, friends, and the wider community.
4. Not Following the Schedule is Dangerous
Not getting your child’s vaccines on time or skipping them can make them sick when they are little and more likely to experience serious problems. Vaccination gaps may also require your child to visit the doctor more frequently and experience prolonged periods of discomfort. This could increase the chances of your child developing a fear of needles.
5. Mother’s Antibodies Weaken
Neonates acquire limited immunity to certain vaccine-preventable illnesses by receiving maternal antibodies via the placenta. However, this protection is temporary and depends on the mother’s immunity. While breastfeeding offers vital defense against specific diseases, it alone isn’t enough to safeguard against vaccine-preventable infections. Relying on maternal antibodies and breastfeeding alone does not suffice for proper protection. Therefore, following the recommended vaccination schedule is imperative to ensure long-term immunity.
6. Immunization Protects the Next Generation
Immunization has played a crucial role in eliminating highly debilitating illnesses worldwide. For instance, polio has now been totally eradicated from India, ensuring that neither the present-day population nor future generations will suffer from it.
Take Away
Following the immunization schedule is essential to protect your child from vaccine-preventable diseases, strengthen the immune system, and promote long-term health. Furthermore, it helps eliminate certain illnesses, ensuring a safer and healthier world. Prioritize vaccinations and follow the advised schedule to protect both your child’s and the larger community’s well-being.