Don’t wait to take your baby to the doctor only when he or she seems sick. Your baby also needs  vaccines (immunizations) for protection against many diseases. Your baby will need his/her first immunization at birth and then several more after that as he/she continues to grow. The list below shows when others are due:
What about shots?
BIRTH – 2 months Hep B
2 months DTaP, Hib, IPV, PCV
4 months DTaP, Hib, IPV, PCV, Hep B
6 months DTaP, Hib, PCV
6 – 18 months Hep B, IPV
12 – 15 months MMR, Hib, PCV
12 – 18 months VAR
15 – 18 months DTaP
4 – 6 years DTaP, IPV, MMR
DTaP: Diphtheria, Tetanus,
acellular Pertussis
IPV: Inactivated Polio
Hep B: Hepatitis B
Hib: Haemophilus Influenzae Type b
PCV: Pneumococcal Conjugate
MMR: Measles, Mumps, Rubella
VAR: Varicella (chickenpox)
Hepatitis B virus can cause serious liver damage.
Pneumococcal disease can cause meningitis and blood infections.
Measles virus can cause pneumonia, brain damage or death.
Mumps virus causes painful swelling of the glands, deafness and damage to other organs.
Rubella is usually mild in children, but if a pregnant women is infected, her baby may be born with serious defects.
Chickenpox virus causes itchy red spots, fever and sometimes death.
Diptheria disease can cause brain, nerve, and/or heart damage and even death.
Tetanus infection can cause serious painful spasms of all muscles. It can lock your jaw so your mouth cannot open to swallow.
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a serious disease of the lungs, throat and nose.
Polio virus can cause crippling of any part of the body.
Haemophilus Influenzae b (Hib) bacteria causes meningitis in young children.
Your child is not fully protected until all these vaccines are given. Keep track of your child’s shots on an immunization card. Bring it with you every time you go to the doctor.
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