Written by Editorial Team
Whether you’re getting ready to get your child vaccinated or you’re still reluctant to do it, you should consider researching different factors that might affect your child. Perhaps, you can ask questions or voice your concerns about vaccines to a healthcare provider. With the overload of information available to us, learning the facts from experts is essential before deciding.
A vaccine is a preventive measure for many medical diseases. Although a baby has an innate immune system, there are still deadly diseases that they can’t handle like chickenpox, polio, etc. They’re exposed to thousands of germs every day that they need to strengthen their immune system through vaccination. Vaccines will reduce the risk of infection by helping their immune system to activate their antigens through recognition.
Vaccines can keep your child safe from many infectious diseases, but just like any medications or advances in medicine, they can experience some side effects. For the most part, they can experience minor side effects like a sore arm on the injection site or a low-grade fever which will go away within two to three days.
Some may experience sleepiness right after the injection, or some may have a small lump at the injection site, which can persist for weeks or months. The latter usually doesn’t require treatment. Knowing how to manage the common side effects will be helpful when you decide to vaccinate your child.
Here are some of the common treatments to reduce the side effects of the vaccine:
Some children may experience a severe reaction after vaccination; that’s why it’s recommended to stay for at least 15 minutes to see if there’s further treatment required. Some examples of rare responses are:
If the reactions are persistent, contact a doctor to address concerns immediately as these can be fatal.
Vaccines comprise active ingredients that trigger an immune response to viruses and bacteria. But to serve their purpose, they need to be mixed with other vital components to be effective and safe. The main ingredient in most vaccines is water added with an active ingredient and other stabilizers. All the ingredients are subjected to thorough assessments to ensure safety. They are delivered in safe quantities based on the safety standards set by the experts.
Here is the general list of the components of a vaccine:
Rest assured that these ingredients are provided to the public because they’re safe and effective. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) constantly monitors these vaccines through several safety systems.
Of course, you would also consider how much you will pay for your child’s vaccine. The cost of vaccinating a child differs between countries due to the variations of vaccines. The prices are negotiated with the manufacturers as well the delivery fees.
According to the CDC, pediatric vaccines’ prices range from as low as $9 up to $196 in the US. This can also depend on its brand and what kind of vaccine it is. Some vaccines are also offered for free regardless of your immigration status or whether you have health insurance or not.
Final Thoughts
There’s a surplus of information regarding vaccination, and it’s easy for parents to be overwhelmed since they’re also bombarded with fake information regarding vaccines. If you’re a parent and don’t know where to start, a good first step is to talk to pediatricians regarding your concerns. They’re the best resource person who can explain how vaccines work and discuss the benefits of vaccinating your child. They will also give you options before proceeding to the vaccination process itself.
As a parent, you only want what’s best for your child. Before agreeing to any vaccines, your vaccination provider should give you all the information you need to make a decision. Take your time before deciding on anything. To help ease your mind, you can always schedule another appointment or ask more queries before proceeding.
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