Family Doctor 2008

kids & teens VACCINATIONS Childhood vaccines: Why they’re necessary Vaccinations enable your child to ﬁght oﬀ diseases that could otherwise lead to serious health problems. Here’s a roundup of the vaccines your child may need. By Barbara L. Bittner The protection that vaccines provide far outweighs any risk of serious problems. small risk of serious problems. Because of vaccines, many serious childhood diseases are rare or nonexistent today. Talk with your family doctor if you have any questions. Side eﬀects Some vaccines may cause mild side effects, such as fever, soreness or a lump under the skin where the shot was given, but these are only temporary. Your family doctor will talk with you about the side effects of certain vaccines. Types of vaccines Flu. The ﬂu vaccine is available by shot or nasal spray. It’s given at the beginning of ﬂu season, usually in October or November. Because ﬂu viruses change from year to year, it’s very important for your child to get the vaccine each year. The ﬂu shot contains dead viruses. The nasal-spray ﬂu vaccine contains live but weakened viruses. Your child can’t get the ﬂu from either form of the ﬂu vaccine. However, the nasal-spray ﬂu vaccine is only used for healthy children who are 2 years of age or older. The ﬂu shot is safe for children 6 months of age and older. If your child is between 6 months and 23 months of age, it’s especially important for him prevent a disease. Vaccines help the body produce antibodies, which protect against the disease. Vaccines not only help keep your own child healthy, they help all children by preventing the spread of serious childhood diseases. or her to get the ﬂu shot each year. Children in this age group are more likely to have complications from the ﬂu. DTaP. The DTaP is a series of 5 shots that contains 3 vaccines. It protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Diphtheria is a disease that attacks the throat and heart. It can lead to heart failure and death. Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria and can cause “lockjaw.” It can their vaccinations, or “shots,” are up to date. There are several different types of vaccines, so it’s important to learn everything you can about them and the diseases they prevent. P art of your role as a parent is to protect your children from harm. One of the easiest ways to do that is to make sure Vaccine basics 118 familydoctor 2008 Vaccine safety Vaccines are generally quite safe. The protection that they provide far outweighs the very A vaccine is a medicine that’s given to help

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Family Doctor 2008

Family Doctor 2008 Foreward Introduction Contents What Do You Want From Health Care? Confident Communication Need a New Doctor? Understanding Your Health Insurance OTC Safety as Simple as 1-2-3 The Fight Against Resistance Drug Interactions Prevention is Better than Cure Hitting a Home Run 'The Herbalist Will See You Now' Healthy Eating to Boost Your Heart and Health Exercise: The Elixir of Life Back from the Brink Taking Control Up All Night Vitamins and Minerals 101 Allergies: Combating the Causes Protect Yourself From Colds and the Flu Diabetes: Assessing Your Risk Dealing with Diabetes The Cholesterol Count Getting a Grip on Hypertension Facts About CKD Banish the Burn Easing the Pain Stop the Pounding Urinary Tract Infections: Common and Preventable Skin Essentials The ABCs of COPD Impotence: Tackling the Old Taboo Taking Responsibility for Your Health Prostate Cancer Screening: Is it For You? Protecting Your Prostate Heart Disease and Women: Know the Risks Birth Control to Suit You Maneuvering Through Menopause Help for PMS Infertility: Problems Having a Baby Preventive Health: What Women Need to Know Pregnancy: Taking Care of You and Your Baby Eating for Two Postpartum Mood Disorders The Basics of Breast Milk Newborn Screening Tests: Possible Lifesavers Common Newborn Conditions Childhood Vaccines: Why They're Necessary Food Allergies: The Facts Facing Your Acne Raising Grades Staying On Your Feet Age Gracefully: Take Care of Your Bones Battling Osteoarthritis Tackling Anxiety Beating the Blues

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