Nearly 2 million children under 5 years of age die each year for lack of vaccination. Another million face debility for a lifetime. It is the responsibility of parents to vaccinate the child timely to prevent potentially life threatening infectious diseases that can be easily prevented by a simple shot. Here are some important dos and don’ts that you must bear in mind before vaccinating your child.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
1 . Do Not Vaccinate Your Child When He/She Is Unwell
-If your child is suffering from fever, a runny nose, cough, then delay the vaccination by a few days.
-Because their immune system is already battling an infection, it might not be able to react optimally to a vaccine.
-This does not mean you should not give the vaccine at all; it’s just better to delay the vaccination date till your child is hale and hearty again.
2 . Never Give Paracetamol Prior To Vaccination
-In an attempt to reduce the chance of fever post vaccination, many parents self medicate and hive paracetamol before vaccination.
-Giving paracetamol when not indicated can be harmful to the child.
3 . Beware Of An Adverse Reaction
-Most of the vaccines are safe and have been tested vigorously for efficacy and safety. However, sometimes there may be an adverse reaction to a particular vaccine
-Do not give your child a vaccine again in case he/she have shown a previous adverse reaction to that vaccine.
-Inform your pediatrician about this prior to accepting or rejecting the vaccination.
-If your child shows any kind of adverse reaction to any vaccination, immediately report this to your child’s pediatrician.
4 . Let Your Doctor Know About Any Underlying Medical Condition
– If your child has any medical conditions that make his immunity altered such as eczema, asthma, and allergies, inform your pediatrician prior to vaccination.
-Children whose immune systems have been compromised may not be able to fight a minor infection that today’s live or weakened vaccines may cause.
-Usually, vaccines are tested on very large scales and made as foolproof as possible and do not have side effects.
5 . Set Reminders
-The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) offers the world’s largest free immunization service.
-Parents need to simply add basic details of the child including the birth date and timely reminders are sent every time a vaccination is due.
-Opt for the service simply by texting a message by SMS to 566778 from any cellphone in India.
-The message to be sent is:Immunize [Space] [Baby’s first name] [Space] [Baby’s date of birth]. Example : Immunize Rekha 04-11-2013
-The phone will instantly receive a confirmation text.
-The phone number will receive vaccination reminders up to following 12 years based on the IAP immunization schedule for children.
Remain up to date with your child’s immunization schedule because it is better to give a tiny prick for better health for a lifetime than bear consequences of hazardous diseases. Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!