Be wise, immunize

Shots are no fun for any of us – those of us that give the shots, those of us that get the shots, and those of us that can only watch while a little person we love more than life itself endures a painful event. In the medical profession, we take our oath “to do no harm” very seriously – so seriously that you can rest assured that we would not advocate anything that would cause even a moment’s harm to your child if the benefit of why that harm is needed were not so great.

Immunizations work by tricking the immune system into thinking its fighting an actual infection. After exposure to a vaccine, our body makes antibodies against each specific illness that will fight the true illness if we were to be exposed. Antibodies are like our own personal marines on constant high alert. Unfortunately, one vaccine only creates part of the army of antibodies needed to fight any one of these illnesses completely – to be as close to 100% protected as possible, all the shots in each series must be given.

To add insult to injury, not all vaccines work well when combined. While combination vaccines are actively being studied and designed, the ultimate goal is protection against a bad virus and that is sometimes jeopardized when vaccines are combined. Better to have 3-4 shots a visit than to become susceptible to a very bad illness.

Shots are not fun and no child looks forward to getting a shot. Luckily, the pain is short lived and most pediatric offices are very well experienced in given multiple shots very quickly. Turns out, kids don’t remember the amount of shots as much as they remember getting the shots. The way vaccines work it is not always possible to combine them without sacrificing how well they work.

The amount of shots for each disease is so important that there are catch up schedules for when children fall behind in the usual series. It is rare that a child has to start from scratch for an immunization series, rather they are just caught up to where they should be for their age. Also, the vaccine schedule does not include special vaccines that may be required when traveling to foreign places. Your pediatrician can help you determine if a special vaccination is needed if you are planning a trip over seas.

The vaccine schedule itself does vary slightly year to year as our information improves and as better vaccines are developed. In addition to your pediatrician and the American Academy of Pediatrics, you can find the latest vaccine schedule on-line at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (WWW.CDC.GOV), the World Health Organization (www.who.int/vaccines) and the Immunization Action Coalition (www.immunize.org).

It is so important that the shots be given that they are rarely deferred, even if a child has a minor illness or is on antibiotics. For major illnesses, the shots may be withheld until the child is over that illness but otherwise they are given.

There are only 3 true contraindications to vaccines:

1. past significant reactions: these are serious life-threatening reactions like seizure or anaphylaxis, not minor reactions such as fever or fussiness.
2. an allergy to a component of the vaccine like eggs
3. chronic illness in the child or immediate family member treated with immunosuppressive medications

The world is certainly much more complicated lately with new threats and illnesses, including SARS and anthrax. If there is ever a time to make sure our children are immunized against what we can protect them from it is now. So, “be wise, immunize”.

© 2005 Pediatrics Now.
All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW is a trademark of Pediatrics Now.

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