Friday, April 27, 2007

Infants and shots: A smart investment in a child’s life


Rv, Hib, DtaP. To most of us, these abbreviations are gibberish. But to health professionals and to parents and guardians of infants and toddlers, they spell protection.

By the time a child turns 2, she or he should have received a battery of immunizations, including the three listed — which represent vaccines for rotavirus (RV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DtaP). On the list of recommended vaccines are those that protect against diseases you may have thought were eradicated, never heard of or assumed don’t cause kids to get sick. But if your child receives the full range of recommended immunizations, she or he will be protected against a wide range of potentially deadly conditions, including serious liver diseases, the flu, whooping cough and measles.

One reason people think some of these diseases aren't a threat anymore is the success of immunization campaigns. But as we have seen with mumps, when immunizations are skipped, diseases can reappear and affect entire communities.

As this is National Infant Immunization Week, now is the perfect time to learn more about protecting children from infectious disease. Visit the event's Web site for vaccination schedules, information resources and frequently asked questions.

1 comment:

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Bye!