Are your child's vaccinations up to date?

By Mark R. Schleiss, M.D.
(Aug. 20, 2005)

The start of the school year is the season of new beginnings, and it’s always a great time to make sure your children’s immunizations are as up-to-date as their new school clothes. As kids return to school, they’ll get in close contact again with a classroom full of other children and their germs. 

Vaccines are the best way to prevent your children from contracting infectious diseases. They are safe, well-tolerated, and don’t cause any long-term health problems. There is no easier, safer, or more cost-effective way to protect your child against these infectious diseases—that used to be dangerous killers—such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles, and polio.

When people think of vaccines, babies often come to mind. And while it’s vital that infants and small children receive their full regimen of vaccines, immunizations are also important for school-age children. Now is a good time to review your child’s history of shots to make sure they haven’t missed one during a time of vaccine shortage.

There are also several new vaccines on the market for teenagers. A newly licensed booster shot for whooping cough is now available for young adults. A potentially fatal illness in young infants, whooping cough also can cause severe symptoms in teenagers once their initial immunization has worn off.

Another new vaccine protects against invasive meningococcal disease. The meningococcus bacteria cause blood stream infections, septic shock, and meningitis—dangerous and potentially fatal infections. Pediatricians recommend that 12-year-olds receive this vaccine. 

Parents of young adults also should ensure that their teenagers have received the hepatitis B inoculation, which has been universally recommended since 1992. Hepatitis B is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and the immunization will protect teens against that infection.

And let’s not forget about chicken pox. While some view this infection as a benign childhood illness, chicken pox can be a dangerous and fatal disease in children. Before the vaccine was introduced, chicken pox killed more children every year in the United States than all of the other vaccine-preventable illnesses combined. So add this one to your child’s schedule of shots.

Finally, the influenza shot is an important vaccine for all children to receive each year. It’s especially vital for every baby between the ages of 6 to 23 months, as well as all children with asthma, chronic diseases, diabetes, respiratory problems, or those who receive aspirin therapy. Late summer and fall are perfect times to arrange for your children’s flu shots. 

There aren’t many more important acts of love and compassion than to have your children vaccinated against infectious diseases. So don’t delay, call your pediatrician or family care provider today.

Mark R. Schleiss, M.D., is the American Legion professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also is director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology and associate chair for research in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Schleiss sees patients through University of Minnesota Physicians. This column is an educational service of the University of Minnesota. Advice presented should not take the place of an examination by a health-care professional. For more health-related information, go to http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu.