You are currently viewing Dangers of not Vaccinating your children. Learn the myths.

Dangers of not Vaccinating your children. Learn the myths.

Yes with all of the news of a covid 19 vaccine up in the air. I know vaccines are on everyone’s mind.

This post is not about the covid 19 vaccine CLICK HERE for that post. This post is about the need to vaccinated your children.

I am not someone to tell someone what to do with their children, but I do want to educate all the men out there so they can make an educated decision.

In this post we will cover:

What is a vaccine?

How a vaccine works?

What ages are my children suppose to get vaccinated?.

What does the popular vaccines protect them from?

Myths vs truths about vaccines

Where can I receive free or discounted vaccines?

Let’s get started…

What is a vaccine?

A vaccine contains the dead or weakened version of a germ that causes diseases. Examples: (The flu vaccine contains a weakened version of the flu. The measeles vaccine contains the measles virus.)

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine contains a weakened bacteria or virus that stimulates your immune system to produce antibodies. Antibodies protect the body from disease and illness.

Once your body produces these antibodies it stores them. Now once you are exposed to the real illness or germ. Your body already has the antibodies to fight the germ These antibodies help eliminate the germ or they help lessen the effect of the illness on the body.

Example: A person receives the flu vaccine. The body produces antibodies against the flu. Once a person is exposed to someone with the flu, the antibodies that are stored attacks the virus and eliminates it or lessens the effect on that person’s body.

Think of a vaccine as a way for the body to practice against a weakened version of a disease before the real thing occurs.

If a vaccine does it job then you may never get the disease. Vaccines or the only medication that has the power to prevent diseases.

What ages are you suppose to get vaccinationed?

Vaccines start at birth (Hepatitis)
2 months (hepatitis, Dtap, Hib, PCV, Polio, rotavirus)
4 months (Dtap, Hib, PCV, Polio, rotavirus))
6 months (flu vaccine, Dtap, PCV, hepatitis)
12 months (PCV, MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis A)
4-6 years (Dtap, Polio, MMR, Varicella)
11-16 (Meningococcal)

I know that’s a lot of information.

I also know your wondering why do we have to take these vaccines so often.

Well vaccines have a thing called boosters. This means that they boost your immunity. When a vaccine is scheduled to be given more than once over a lifetime everytime you take it you boost your immunity towards a certain disease higher and higher.

This is why most children vaccines have to be given more than once because the booster helps the body remember how to defeat certain antigens..

The flu vaccine is given annually because the flu like most vaccines come in different strands. When you receive a flu vaccine you are taking a version scientist think will be the strand causing the flu that year.

What does popular vaccines protect from?

I will cover a few of the popular vaccines given to children.

Influenza vaccine: The flu
MMR: measles, mumps, and rubella
PCV: pneumonia
IPV: polio
Rotavirus: diarrhea disease
HIB: haemophilus influenza B (cause of menigitis infection of the brain)
Hepatitis B: affects the liver
Dtap: (diphtheria, tetanus, & pertussis): diphtheria (serious bacteria infection of the throat highly contagious), tetanus (lockjaw), pertussis (whopping cough)
Varicella (chicken pox)
Meningococcal conjugate (prevents menigitis)

Myths

Vaccine contains things that causes harm to my child:

Vaccines contain safe amounts of any substance. Thimerosal a mercury containing compound is a preservative for some multi- dose vials of vaccines. Most vaccines come in a single dose form. Thimerosal studies have shown no risk to children when given in the amount used in vaccines.

Myth
Vaccines cause autism and SIDS.

Vaccines do not cause autism. The most common reaction to a vaccine is temporary and minor fever and sore arm. Not taking a vaccine could cause much more dangerous issues.

Myth
I don’t need to vaccine my kids because everyone else is vaccinated.

If everyone thinks like this no one gets the vaccine. You can not tell who is caring a disease and if there is an outbreak issues could occur.

Myth
A child could actually get the disease from a vaccine.

Most vaccines contain dead germs. This means that it is not possible to contract the disease from the vaccine. There are a few live vaccines: varicella (chicken pox) and the oral polio vaccine. The varicella vaccine can cause a few spots of chicken pox but this is not harmful and some providers use this as a sign the vaccine worked. The oral form of the polio vaccine is no longer given in the united States.

Where can I receive free or discounted children vaccines?

Most private insurance is required to give these vaccines to you for low or no cost.

Military insurance covers all recommended vaccines for the members and his or her dependents.

Medicare covers many vaccines at little to no cost.

Medicaid covers all recommended vaccines for children.

Federally funded health centers offer these vaccines if you do not have any of the above resources. They offer payment in a sliding scale.

Check your state health department.