Vaccination is one of the best ways parents can protect infants, children and teens from 16 potentially harmful diseases. Vaccine-preventable diseases can be very serious, may require hospitalization, or even be deadly – especially in infants and young children. Today, we can protect children against more than a dozen preventable diseases before 2 years of age with vaccines. Theimmunization scheduleis designed to protect young children before they are likely to be exposed to the potentially serious diseases and when they are most vulnerable to serious infections. Even when multiple shots are given during a visit, these vaccines do not overload the immune system.
Whenever children are brought into group settings such as childcare or schools, there is a chance for diseases to spread. Children must follow state vaccine laws in order to attend childcare and school. These laws are the minimum standard to help prevent disease outbreaks in school settings. The best way to protect your child from other serious diseases is to follow the recommended vaccination schedule.
