Can vaccination protect your baby from life-threatening diseases?

You know you can easily immunize your baby against 9 highly infectious and life-threatening diseases in the first year of his life through vaccination. Babies have a low immunity when they are born and it takes time to develop fully to protect them from common diseases. But there are several dangerous diseases that a baby can’t fight unless an extra protective shield is provided. And that shield which further strengthens the body’s immunity is a vaccine.

I have studied vaccines during my Graduation and immunology was my favorite subject. But when I became a mother and I first saw my little baby get a vaccine shot, I got terrified. Such poor little thing had to go through so much pain, I couldn’t stop crying seeing him like that. I even questioned whether vaccination was this necessary for a newborn? Couldn’t they wait for a few days or months?

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Yes, vaccination is necessary & it can protect your baby from life-threatening diseases

The head nurse saw me shivering, came to me and said, “Welcome to motherhood dear, you just did the best thing to protect your baby”.

And yes, she was right. Even though it was a scary moment I knew vaccination gave my baby a chance to fight and survive if ever he gets in contact with that disease.

With such great advancement in the field of medical science, India in the last decade has seen a huge drop in the incidents of vaccine-preventable diseases. If you look at the below numbers, you can see we have been successful in eradicating Polio from our country through Pulse Polio Immunization Programme.¹

Fact- Today, only 3 countries in the world have never stopped transmission of endemic wild poliovirus – Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria.²

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WHO estimates that each year, over 1 million children die of diseases that could be prevented by a vaccine.

We still have a long way to go but if we make sure to follow the vaccination schedule, we can protect our little ones from all these dangerous diseases.

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You know you can protect your baby from 9 life-threatening diseases in the first year by proper vaccination.

Vaccines needed in the first year of life 

1. At birth – BCG vaccine, Hep-B and OPV 
2. At 6 weeks – DTP, Hep-B, IPV, Hib, Rota, PCV
3. 10 weeks – DTP, Hep-B, IPV, Hib, Rota, PCV
4. At 14 weeks – DTP, Hep-B, IPV, Hib, Rota, PCV
5. At 6 months – TCV
6. 9 months – MMR
7. 12 months – Hep-A

Apart from the above-mentioned vaccines, Flu vaccine (Influenza) is also recommended every year for children 6 months and older.³ It is important that the vaccines are given at the right age to ensure full protection. If due to any reason your child has missed the vaccine, talk to your pediatrician to know how to get back on track.

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There are certain myths associated with vaccines that also discourages parents to follow or continue following the vaccination schedule for their child. It is always a good practice to discuss your doubts with your doctor to understand the risks and benefits better.

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References

1. https://www.nhp.gov.in/pulse-polio-programme_pg
2. http://apps.who.int/worldimmunizationweek/
3. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child-easyread.html

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative on vaccination supported by Sanofi Pasteur India. Sanofi Pasteur bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information.