If there is one unequivocal message the measles outbreak in California in 2015 has put across, it is the importance of vaccinations. However, the vaccine hoaxes circulating on social media have caused many people, especially parents of young children, unnecessary anxiety and fear.
If you’re among those parents who are leery of vaccines and have either delayed or refused childhood vaccinations altogether, the information provided below will prove to you that they are extremely important.
They are lifesavers.
Vaccines are among modern medicine’s greatest achievements. Before the very first vaccine was developed, life was especially brutal for children: millions of them succumbed to diseases like measles, rubella, smallpox, and whooping cough, to mention a few. Vaccinations have remarkably reduced—or even eradicated—the incidence of many communicable, life-threatening, but preventable diseases.
They protect not only your child but other children as well.
There are people who cannot receive certain vaccines because they have severe allergies or a weakened immune system. For you to be able to contribute to the health and safety of the people your child can come in contact with— especially those who aren’t eligible for vaccines— get your child fully vaccinated to help prevent the spread of diseases to others.
They are proven effective and safe.
The widespread fear of vaccines is mostly due to the enduring myth that vaccines cause autism. Experts assert that this is nothing more than an unsubstantiated claim.
Vaccines undergo several stages of development: exploratory, preclinical, clinical, regulatory review and approval, manufacturing, and quality assessment. Before they get approved, they undergo long, thorough, rigorous testing by scientists. Vaccines that do not pass the clinical trials will not be approved by the FDA and will not be distributed.
Your child may experience some discomfort after getting their shot/s, but serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are extremely rare. Put simply, the benefits of vaccines far outweigh their potential side effects.
Child Vaccination in Spring and The Woodlands, TX
At Northwoods Pediatric Center, the health and well-being of our patients are of paramount importance to us, and thus, we strongly advocate for childhood vaccinations. We also take great pleasure in providing parents with the right information about vaccines and in addressing all of their hesitancies about the safety and efficacy thereof.
If your child has missed any of the recommended vaccines for their age, give us a call at (281) 296-7770, so we can arrange your appointment with one of our pediatricians and help you get them up to date. You may also request an appointment using this form, and our staff will contact you as soon as possible.
