Childhood Vaccinations: Why They're Important and How to Get Them

Childhood vaccinations are regarded as the remedies used in the healthcare setting to help prevent infections from attacking the children. The most common infections for immunization include polio, measles, pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus. The research paper seeks to address the different immunization or vaccination remedies available for the children in the healthcare setting. It also begins by describing the significance of carrying out vaccinations among the children in the community. It is a common phenomenon to underscore the fact that every parent wants the best for their children. As much as physical safety is important to the health of the child, there is the need to underscore the importance of the vaccines to the children. Therefore, it is important for the parent to ensure that the child receives all the vaccines that are deemed right for the child and at the right age ( Stein-Zamir & Israeli, 2019) . First, vaccinations are important in ensuring that the life of the child is saved at an early stage. Through vaccinations , the lives of the child can be saved from adverse effects of diseases that may crop up during the development of the child. Some of the cases can then be used in eliminating some ailments from the life of the child. Examples of a disease that can be completely eliminated include the Polio infection. 

Another significant aspect of vaccination lies with the fact that the process is often effective and safe when administered at the right dose and time. Vaccines often undergo a complex research process by qualified personnel to ensure their safety and effectiveness. As much as the process of administering the vaccines may come up with some side effects, the overall result in disease prevention supersedes the side effects. These effects could include trauma, discomfort, and pain. The aspect of immunization protects others in the community against the infections. This gesture is based on the fact the immunization process helps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases within the society. Such diseases include whooping cough and measles that can wipe an entire population ( Filia et al., 2019) . The process of carrying out vaccinations helps in the saving of the family spending and time. For example, a child suffering from the vaccine-preventable disease can be barred from attending schools, and this could be a burden to the parent both based on time and money spent in dealing with the diseases . Immunizations help in the protection of future generations from contacting the diseases in the future. 

Classification of Childhood Vaccines 

Flu Vaccine 

This immunization is the most common based on the fact that it is often done annually. Influenza is available in both the nasal spray and the shot. However, the CDC recommends the shot version of the vaccine as opposed to the nasal spray because the latter gave low effectiveness during previous flu seasons. The stray nasal vaccine contains the weakened flu virus while the shot version contains a replica of the flu virus. The replica prevents the child from contacting the flu because it binds to the receptor cells that the virus could have found its way into the system of the child ( Stein-Zamir & Israeli, 2019) . In the US, this vaccine is given once a year just at the beginning of the flu season that is in either October or November. The nasal spray is given to children above 2 years, and the shot is administered to children above 6 months old. The flu vaccine is given on an annual basis based on the fact that the virus changes every year. 

DTaP Vaccine 

This vaccine is a combination of 3 vaccines in a single shot. The vaccine gives protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. It is given in five shots spread between the ages of 2 months and 4 years on the child. Diphtheria is known to have effects on the heart and throat and could then lead to heart failure and even death to the child. Tetanus can cause death from the issues linked to severe muscle spasms. Pertussis often called whooping cough brings the instances of difficulty in breathing and can lead to the cases of pneumonia, and brain damage ( Osawa et al., 2019) . Therefore, the three conditions are very lethal to the life of the child and can then lead to death and must be prevented at all costs. The vaccinations, in this case, helps protect the child for about 10 years, then after which booster doses (Td vaccine) would be appropriate for the child to use in most cases. 

Rotavirus Vaccine 

This immunization process protects the child from infections from the rotavirus. The doses for this vaccine must be given before the child attains the age of 8 months. It can be given in three shots or two shots. The first batch can be given at the ages of 2, 4, and 6 months. The latter could then be given at the age of 2, and 4 months depending on the idea presented by the physician in the ultimate healthcare sector. The virus is associated with the onset of vomiting and diarrhea that can greatly dehydrate the child leading to death ( Filia et al., 2019) . There are some side effects linked to the vaccination against rotavirus, and these include the cases of stomach ache and the presence of blood stains on the stool and vomit. In case of such issues, it is significant for the parent to seek medical attention for the child. 

IPV Immunization 

IPV is given among the children for the protection against polio attack. It is often called the inactivated poliovirus vaccine. The vaccine is administered four times to the children between the ages of 2 months to 6 years. Polio can cause paralysis and muscle pain in one or both the limbs of the child ( Osawa et al., 2019) . Advanced cases can paralyze the muscles of the neck making it difficult for the child to breath or even swallow food. Therefore, it can easily lead to the death of the child in one way or the other. 

MMR Vaccine 

This is a single dose vaccine that aids in preventing the attack by the measles, mumps, and rubella. The shots are given twice to the child at the age of 1 year and the age of 4 or 6 years in their life. The measles infection can cause the onset symptoms of pneumonia, brain swelling and eventual death to the child. Mumps is known to cause swellings on one of the major salivary glands and can lead to meningitis ( Bianco et al., 2019) . On rare occasions, mumps causes swelling to the testicles of the boys which can make them impotent in the future as adults. Rubella also called the German measles causes swellings on the glands on the neck region ( Shibli et al., 2019) . It can cause brain damage and often associated with extreme bleeding. In a situation where a pregnant woman contracts rubella then she can lose the baby or give birth to a baby with impaired learning capabilities, deaf, or blind. Some researchers claim that the MMR vaccine can cause autism on the child, but there is no tangible evidence to ascertain the same. 

Hib Vaccine 

This vaccine helps in the prevention of the Hemophilus influenza type b. This virus can lead to the development of meningitis on the child and is linked to severe infections in the throat. The vaccine is administered in either 3 or 4 shots from between the age of 2 months and 15 months. 

Varicella Vaccine 

This vaccine is used in the immunization against chickenpox. It is given to the children twice at the age of 12 months and again at the age of 4 years. The latter dose is given to older children who never received the vaccine at an early stage once they contact the disease. 

HBV Vaccine 

HBV is used in the prevention of the infections by hepatitis B virus. This infection attacks the liver leading to liver cancer and eventual death on the child. The first shot is often administered immediately after the birth of the child and then followed by other two shots evenly distributed in the life of the child ( Shibli et al., 2019) . The vaccine helps eradicate the dangerous and contagious infection from the population as early as possible. 

Conclusion 

In summary, the research paper has adequately discussed the various vaccinations required for the children in the society. It has clearly defined childhood vaccinations as the remedies used in the prevention of infections onto the children. These diseases could incorporate tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, and polio. It has also gone ahead to describe the importance of carrying out the immunizations onto the children. A critical part of immunization lies with the way that the procedure is regularly powerful and safe when directed at the correct portion and time. Immunizations regularly experience an unpredictable research process by qualified faculty to guarantee their security and adequacy. As much as procedure of directing the immunizations may think of some reactions, the general outcome in malady counteractive action supplants the symptoms. These impacts could incorporate injury, inconvenience, and torment. The perspective on inoculation secures others in the network against the diseases. This signal depends on the reality the vaccination procedure keeps the spread of irresistible infections inside the general public. Such illnesses incorporate challenging hack and measles that can wipe a whole populace. The way toward completing inoculations helps in the sparing of the family investing and energy. For instance, a youngster experiencing immunization preventable sickness can be banned from going to schools and this could be a weight to the parent both dependent on time and cash went through in managing the infections. Vaccinations help in the insurance of things to come ages from reaching the illnesses later on. 

References 

Bianco, A., Mascaro, V., Zucco, R., & Pavia, M. (2019). Parent perspectives on childhood vaccination: How to deal with vaccine hesitancy and refusal?.    Vaccine . 

Filia, A., Bella, A., D’Ancona, F., Fabiani, M., Giambi, C., Rizzo, C., & Rota, M. C. (2019). Childhood vaccinations: knowledge, attitudes and practices of pediatricians and factors associated with their confidence in addressing parental concerns, Italy, 2016.    Eurosurveillance ,    24 (6), 1800275. 

Osawa, E., Akiyama, Y., Shinohara, R., Ojima, T., Imamura, H., Asakura, K., & Yamagata, Z. (2019). Association between time-appropriate vaccinations in early childhood and individual and community-level factors in Japan.    [Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health ,    66 (2), 67-75. 

Shibli, R., Rishpon, S., Cohen-Dar, M., & Kandlik, Y. (2019). What affects pediatric healthcare providers to encourage receipt of routine childhood vaccinations? Results from the Northern District of Israel, 2016.    Vaccine ,    37 (3), 524-529. 

Stein-Zamir, C., & Israeli, A. (2019). Timeliness and completeness of routine childhood vaccinations in young children residing in a district with recurrent vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, Jerusalem, Israel.    Eurosurveillance ,    24 (6), 1800004.