Baby immunization know-how

Immunization know-how is important once you have a baby. Infants and young children who are immunized are protected against diseases that can strike while they're young. The diseases that immunizations protect against tend to be worse when a child is young (with few exceptions). For example, according to the CDC, "Approximately 50% of children younger than 6 months old who get whooping cough (pertussis) must be hospitalized, and this age group accounts for about 92% of all deaths from the disease." Adults who get this disease fare better. Steps you should take: 1. Find out if your baby needs an immunization. You can find out which immunizations your baby needs by...

• Talking with your baby's pediatrician.
• Using the Instant Childhood Immunization Scheduler offered by the CDC.
• Books are less reliable when it comes to baby shots, because books can become outdated quickly. Don't rely on baby health care books for all your immunization info.

2. Make sure you can pay for baby immunizations. If you can't afford shots, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides vaccines at no cost for children who are enrolled in Medicaid, don't have health insurance, or who are American Indian or Alaska Native. You can also read: Low-cost or free health insurance for babies and mamas. 3. Get to know the vaccines. Each baby immunization come with side effects. You can get information on all the common infant and child vaccines from the CDC:

• Bacterial Meningitis
• Diphtheria
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza
• Measles
• Mumps
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Pneumococcal disease
• Polio
• Rubella (German measles)
• Tetanus (lockjaw)
• Rotavirus
• Varicella (chickenpox)

4. Get an alternative point of view. Personally, I'm an immunization advocate. There are people who don't believe that all vaccines are safe for babies and children. For me, it's a matter of a lesser evil. While I'm not a fan of all the possible immunization side effects, I personally feel that the pros of vaccines outweigh the cons. Still, as a parent, it's your right to get both sides. To read about some of the arguments against vaccines read:

• How safe are vaccines
• Medical Journal Articles on the Dangers of Vaccines
• Vaccines Dangers: What Mainstream Media Didn't Tell You