Vaccines For Newborns, Infants and Children

Although vaccinations have made a dramatic decline in diseases like polio and tetanus possible, there are many parents who are reluctant to allow their children to be vaccinated. This reluctance can be due to the assumption that vaccines can harm the child instead of protecting them. This fear, while natural in new parents, is baseless. Your child may have a reaction to certain vaccines, but that’s a natural process and does not diminish the long-term value of vaccination. The following are some reasons why vaccinations are vital and the safest choice for your child:

• Vaccination is the safest and most effective way of making sure that your child is protected from preventable diseases and their long-term side effects. Some of these effects can lead to amputation of limbs, paralysis, hearing loss, seizures, brain damage and even death.
• All vaccines go through a long and thorough process of review by scientists, doctors and federal governments. This process ensures that they are safe for mass use.
• Many preventable diseases, like measles, mumps, whooping cough and hepatitis still pose a threat. Vaccination is the surest way to eliminate them.
• With global travel becoming more accessible, the chances of preventable disease outbreaks are huge. Vaccinating your child might just protect your family from such an outbreak.
• Vaccination doesn’t just protect your child, but also eliminates the chances of outbreak of a preventable disease in your family, child’s school and community. Getting your child vaccinated is therefore your duty and a public health commitment that can save millions of lives.

The process of immunization through vaccination starts soon after birth and has to be followed throughout childhood. There are usually gaps between one set of vaccinations and another, so that the child’s body can gradually build an immunity in the interim period. In the case of diseases like rabies and encephalitis, this duration between doses is shorter.

Hospitals usually provide vaccination booklets with all the information you will need, as well as a calendar for most vaccinations. You should always keep this booklet handy, and make sure you don’t miss any vaccinations recommended for your child. According to the Indian National Immunization Schedule and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, the following vaccination schedule should be followed for all children.

Apart from the vaccines which all children should receive, the types, doses and frequency can differ if an infant is deemed to be at risk of certain diseases. The call regarding vaccinations in these cases are taken by pediatricians and specialists after a proper diagnosis of the child’s condition is complete.

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics lists the following high-risk clinical conditions that definitely will need additional vaccinations and care:

• Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency (including HIV infection)
• Chronic cardiac or heart disease
• Chronic pulmonary or lung disease (including asthma)
• Chronic hematologic disease (including anemia, sickle-cell disease, etc)
• Chronic renal or kidney disease (including nephrotic syndrome)
• Chronic liver disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrospinal fluid leak
• Cochlear implant
• Malignancies or the presence of cancer
• Functional or anatomic asplenia (absence of normal spleen function) or hyposplenia (reduced spleen function)

Apart from these, there are a few situations when new vaccines or booster doses of vaccines might be needed. The following are these conditions as noted by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics:

• During a disease outbreak
• If the parents are laboratory or healthcare workers
• During travel to new countries which might have a greater occurrence of a disease
• If there are pets at home

Vaccinations, especially for newborn babies and infants, can be an upsetting experience. There can also be mild reactions to vaccinations, but this usually differs from one baby to the other. To make the process easier, parents are usually recommended to hold the baby right when the vaccine is administered. A secure but comfortable grip in a parent’s arms can minimise pain and injuries for the baby. 

Mild reactions like fever, rashes and swelling at the injection site are normal, and usually go away without any intervention required. Applying an ice pack on the injection site can help manage the pain better. Breastfeeding and swaddling the baby can be soothing, and you should try these if your baby is too upset. Babies usually eat less after a vaccination is administered, but in case this persists you should contact your doctor.