Protecting Your Little Ones: Parents Guide to Child Vaccinations
Date: 07/24/24
As a parent, you want your kids to grow up happy and healthy. One way to do that is to keep your child up to date on their vaccinations.
Why does my child need vaccines?
Without vaccines, your child is at risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying.
A baby’s immune system is not fully developed at birth. This means babies have a higher risk of getting very sick. Vaccines help teach the immune system to defend against germs.
Vaccination protects your baby by building up their natural defenses. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for that protection to develop. That protection can then last a lifetime. A few vaccines require booster doses.
A booster dose is just an extra dose of a vaccine. They are needed sometimes to “boost” an immune response you have already developed.
You also may wonder why your baby needs vaccinations for diseases that you’ve never heard of. Many diseases that vaccinations help prevent once killed many children. Because of vaccinations, most people don’t get these diseases anymore.
What diseases do vaccinations help prevent?
Hib, or haemophilus influenzae type b. This disease can cause meningitis, pneumonia, other infections and death. Children under 2 are more likely to get it. Pneumonia is a lung infection. Meningitis is an infection that causes swelling in the brain and spinal cord.
Hepatitis A and B. These are liver infections caused by the hepatitis A and B viruses.
Measles, mumps and rubella. Measles is easily spread and may cause rash, cough and fever. Mumps can cause fever, headache and swollen glands in the face and neck. Rubella may cause mild flu-like symptoms and a rash.
Pneumococcal disease. This disease can cause many kinds of infections, like ear and sinus infections, pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia, a blood infection.
Polio. This disease can infect the brain and spinal cord and cause paralysis (when you can’t move one or more parts of your body) and even death.
Rotavirus. This infection can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and belly pain.
Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Tetanus affects your nerves and muscles. Diphtheria can cause sore throat, fever, weakness and trouble breathing. Pertussis, or whooping cough, spreads easily and is dangerous for a baby.
Chickenpox, or varicella. This infection spreads easily and causes itchy skin, rash and fever.
Routine childhood immunization schedule
Vaccine | Number of doses and age for giving them |
|---|---|
Hepatitis (HepB) | 1st: Birth 2nd: 1 to 2 months 3rd: 6 to 18 months |
Rotavirus (RV) | 1st: 2 months 2nd: 4 months 3rd: 6 months* *This dose depends on vaccine used |
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP) Note: Your child also needs an extra dose (called the Tdap) at 11 to 12 years old. Your child should then get the Tdap every 10 years throughout life. | 1st: 2 months 2nd: 4 months 3rd: 6 months 4th: 15 to 18 months 5th: 4 to 6 years |
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) | 1st: 2 months 2nd: 4 months 3rd: 6 months* 4th: 12 to 15 months *This dose depends on vaccine used |
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV, polio) | 1st: 2 months 2nd: 4 months 3rd: 6 to 18 months 4th: 4 to 6 years |
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) | 1st: 12 to 15 months 2nd: 4 to 6 years |
Varicella (chickenpox) | 1st: 12 to 15 months 2nd: 4 to 6 years |
Pneumococcal (PCV) | 1st: 2 months 2nd: 4 months 3rd: 6 months 4th: 12 to 15 months |
Hepatitis A (HepA) | 1st: 12 to 23 months 2nd: 6 months after the first dose |
Has your child gotten off schedule? It’s not too late to get them back on track. Talk with your child’s health care provider about the best way to make sure your child keeps up with their vaccinations.
If you have questions about vaccine safety and side effects, visit the CDC’s Common Questions About Vaccines webpage.
More resources
CDC: Vaccines for Your Children
Louisiana Department of Health’s Immunizations webpage
CDC’s printable immunization schedule for birth through 6 years (PDF)