Significance of the child vaccine schedule

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under its mandatory child vaccine schedule, guides parents to get their children immunized against several dreadful diseases and infections. These vaccines are given to newborns, infants who are a few months older, pre-teens, and children below the age of 18 years. These vaccines help the immune system to develop antibodies that act as weapons against many infections and diseases that they may get vulnerable to in the future. Child vaccine schedule is a step-by-step series of vaccinations that need to be given to your kids at various stages of their lives.

Here are some things you must know about child vaccine schedule.

Who approves the child vaccine schedule?

• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) along with other bodies approve the child vaccine schedule every year.
• The child vaccine schedule along with the catch-up immunization schedule is also approved by the (ACOG) or American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Where can you learn about the child vaccine schedule in detail?

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a government-run website that provides enough details on the immunization schedule.

What are some of the changes included in the latest child vaccine schedule?

• An update on the Hepatitis B vaccine was introduced from the 6th March 2017.
• An updated polio vaccine has been added since 17th February 2017.
• Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine too has undergone an update.
• Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine has some changes incorporated.
• Human papillomavirus vaccine is another schedule that has been transformed.
• Influenza vaccine too has undergone some changes
• Meningococcal vaccine has undergone some alterations.
• Pneumococcal vaccine too has undergone some changes.

Which are the vaccinations recommended for children between 0 and 6 years?

• Hepatitis B (HepB) is prescribed to newborn babies within one day of their birth. Other doses are administered in the next few months. In all, the child vaccine schedule recommends three HepB doses between 6-18 months.
• Diphtheria (DTaP) is given to children between the ages of 2,4, and 6 months which need to be followed up by the doses are recommended in the child vaccine schedule.
• Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB) shots are to be given to the child during the 2 ^nd , 4 ^th , and 6 ^th month. These too need to be followed up.
• Pneumococcal (PCV) follows the same vaccine schedule as HiB.
• Rotavirus (RV) has three dosages that need to be taken when the child turns 2,4, and 6 months old.
• IPV or the Polio vaccine is given to kids when they are 2-4 months. The next dose is given when the child is between 6-18 months followed by the last vaccine that must be given to kids when they reach between the age group of 4-6 years.
• Influenza vaccines are given to kids after they turn 6 months old. The child vaccine schedule mandates kids to get an influenza vaccine on a yearly basis.
• MMR or mumps and measles vaccines are first given to children when they are between the ages of 12-15 months. The second dose needs to be taken when the child is between 4-6 years of age.
• The vaccination dose of chickenpox or varicella follows the same schedule as the MMR vaccine.
• Two shots of Hepatitis A need to be given to kids who are between the ages of 1-2 years.

What are the additional vaccines under the child vaccine schedule that kids above the age of 7 need?

• DTaP vaccine
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis A in case the kid misses his earlier doses as a toddler.
• HPV vaccine is for your pre-teen and teenaged kids.
• Meningococcal vaccine protects against meningitis.
• Polio Vaccine
• MMR vaccine
• The chickenpox vaccine is given to kids who are 13 years of age.