Importance of Immunizations for Children

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CLEVELAND - August is National Immunization Awareness Month. 

If your child hasn’t gotten their vaccines for the upcoming school year, now is a good time to do so. 

“Vaccines are really important for kids. They help to protect against diseases that have the potential to cause really serious illness, hospitalizations, and sometimes even life-long disabilities or death,” explained Kimberly Giuliano, MD, pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Dr. Giuliano said the CDC has created a vaccine schedule to determine what vaccines a child needs and when. 

For example, at birth, a baby would get their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine to protect them against the hepatitis B virus. 

She notes that all of the vaccines recommended by the CDC have been around for years and have proven to be effective. 

Side effects are generally mild and complications are rare. 

Despite the evidence showing they’re safe, some parents still remain hesitant, which Dr. Giuliano said she can understand. 

However, she explains that by skipping vaccinations, not only are you putting your child at risk but other kids around them too. 

“There are some children who are unfortunately not able to get vaccines because of a medical condition, because of medications that they’re taking, and for all babies, at certain ages, they’re too young for certain vaccines. So, when all of us get our immunizations, we’re helping to protect those more vulnerable children that don’t have the ability to get the vaccine themselves,” she said.

Some parents have also started making their own vaccine schedules, which Dr. Giuliano does not recommend. 

She said that the longer your child remains unvaccinated, the higher the risk they have of potentially getting sick.