As the new school year approaches, health experts are reminding parents to ensure their children are up to date on required vaccinations.
"They have almost all their vaccinations. My baby is getting the 4-year-old vaccine today, and my 7-month-old baby has had all her 7-month-old vaccines," said Yusanaily, a mother of two daughters who are at ages where vaccines are particularly important.
From birth to first grade, children need approximately 18 vaccines, according to Dr. Kim, a pediatrician with Amistad Health. These include protection against hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and multiple bacterial infections.
Parents can take comfort knowing that 18 vaccines doesn't mean 18 separate shots.
"Some vaccines have one combo that has five vaccines in it so we significantly reduce the number of painful injections," Dr. Kim said.
This combination approach helps ease parents' concerns about their children's discomfort during vaccination visits.
"I feel safer, although sometimes I get emotional with them because they cry, and it hurts them. But yes, I feel safe because I know no illness will be so serious for them," Yusanaily said.
Dr. Kim notes an increase in parents scheduling vaccination appointments as the school year approaches. Different vaccines are required at specific ages - measles vaccines, for example, are administered first at age 1 and again at age 4.
The meningitis vaccine is given when children are 11-12 years old, with a second dose around age 16.
"We rarely see side effects of the vaccines. The other thing is by giving vaccines to your children you are protecting your kids and others," Dr. Kim said.
Parents should bring their child's immunization card to appointments to help pediatricians update records that will be needed for school registration.
For a complete guide on which vaccines are required at different ages, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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