What Vaccinations Does My Child Need?

What Vaccinations Does My Child Need?

As a child vaccination specialist, Pediatric Care of Four Corners helps you keep your child on schedule with the current array of childhood immunizations that may be necessary for school attendance or activity participation, but that most of all protect your child from a range of illnesses by jump-starting their young immune systems against infectious agents.

Quite simply, vaccines keep your children alive and healthy, while reducing the number of health risks with which you need to be concerned as a parent. Vaccination is a life-long practice that ensures your child avoids unnecessary illnesses, some of which carry potentially disabling or even fatal complications. 

With the schedule disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, your child may have missed some recommended vaccines or boosters. Now’s the time to visit Pediatric Care of Four Corners to get caught up. 

From birth

In the United States, vaccination recommendations come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on the best available research and testing. Vaccinations routinely start from birth. Your child receives their first vaccine, protecting against hepatitis B, before they leave the birthing center or hospital. They will later receive two more hepatitis B boosters, protecting their livers against the effects of the infection.

Up to 2 months

In total, your child receives vaccines to protect against 16 illnesses between birth and 18 years of age. There are, however, more than 16 injections. As you’ve seen already, hepatitis B protection requires three shots. It’s common to build immune system strength in gradual stages with boosters. By the time your child is two months old, they should receive: 

  1. Hepatitis B second shot (HepB)
  2. Combined diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTaP)
  3. Polio (IPV)
  4. Rotavirus (RV)
  5. Pneumococcal (PCV)
  6. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

These six vaccines are then repeated at four months and six months to bolster your child’s immunity. From the age of seven months to one year, there are no recommended vaccines, but it’s the ideal time to catch up on any missed shots. 

Between one and two years

This second year of your child’s life sees boosters for most of the earlier shots, and these vaccines are added: 

  1. Chickenpox
  2. Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
  3. Hepatitis A (HepA)

In addition, all children one year and older can safely receive the annual influenza vaccine. Children with healthy immune systems can generally take the flu in stride, but vaccines prevent them from passing on the flu virus to more vulnerable family members. 

Later years

Boosters typically happen between four and six years of age, along with annual flu vaccines. After that, though, there are no shots until the preteen years. A variation of the tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough booster is added, along with two new vaccines, HPV and meningococcal conjugate vaccines. 

Currently, vaccines for protection against the coronavirus are recommended only for children aged 12 or older. Continue to take preventive steps for children under 12. 

It’s a lot for any parent to track, and so partnering with a pediatrician is a smart move to ensure your child’s protection and continued good health. Call Pediatric Care of Four Corners at 863-201-8949 to make an appointment to review your child’s immunization record or to make up any missed shots or boosters. It’s a safe, fast, and easy way to protect your child. Book now.