When it comes to being a parent, you would do anything to keep your child healthy and safe. From seatbelts to sunscreen, you want to make sure your child is protected. This is where keeping your child up to date on their vaccines can help.

Over the years, the number of vaccines on the childhood vaccination schedule has increased. But as the list of recommended vaccines has grown, so too has the list of questions parents have about vaccinations and vaccination schedules.

Here, with the help of immunization specialists, family medicine doctors and pediatricians, we’ll help answer questions you may have about vaccines. We’ll go over the purpose of vaccines and why they’re so important for your child’s health. We’ll also tell you what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immunization schedule is and why following it is so important to keeping your child healthy.

Why vaccinating and following a vaccination schedule is so important for your child

When you get sick, your body builds natural immunity to better fight that illness in the future. But babies are born with fragile immune systems and very few natural immunities to diseases, so they’re more susceptible to illness.

That’s why your child needs vaccinations beginning so soon after birth. Vaccinations help teach your child’s immune system to fight germs, build up their natural defenses and give your child their best shot at staying healthy as they grow.

That’s where immunization schedules come in. Immunization schedules for young children and adolescents are designed with young immune systems in mind, with the ultimate goal of helping them avoid preventable illnesses.

The schedules – determined by top infectious disease experts and doctors, and put out by the CDC – include the list of recommended vaccines, as well as dosages and timing from birth to 18 years old. By building children’s immunity to these diseases as early and safely as possible, vaccine schedules help prevent serious complications, as well as reduce the chance that kids catch these diseases in the first place. But there are plenty of other benefits to vaccinating, too.

Vaccinating and staying on schedule protects your child from preventable illnesses

The spacing and timing of vaccines is important because many vaccines require multiple doses that must be spread out over a number of months or years. The recommended schedule is backed by scientific research and is set to work with a child’s immune system at specific ages and times. Vaccines not only prevent disease, they save lives.

While some parents wonder if the number of vaccines and doses kids receive can ever be too much for their bodies to handle, the short answer is: No. Extensive research has been done to ensure the safety of vaccines for young immune systems. Kids are exposed to germs (or antigens) every day. The amount that they’re exposed to by getting a vaccine is just a tiny fraction of the antigens they encounter daily.

Vaccines can protect your child for life

It depends on the vaccine, but with most, protection can last for years – and even be lifelong. Even if protection wears off over the years, your child will be protected when their immune system is at its most vulnerable, especially if they stay up to date on their vaccinations during childhood and adolescence.

Getting your child vaccinated helps protect others

Vaccinations not only help you and your child, but they also help protect the health of your community – especially those who can’t be vaccinated, like children who are too young, older adults or those who can’t for medical reasons.

Keeping your child up to date on vaccines can save you money

When kids get sick, parents often have to dedicate time to looking after them. This may mean time away from work, which can mean a loss of income. And that’s before the additional cost of treatment if they need it. In contrast, not only is vaccination safe, but it’s also usually covered by insurance.

Staying on the vaccine schedule can be a requirement for school or sports

Oftentimes, daycares, schools and sports teams require proof of immunizations in order for your child to participate, so keeping up with their shots can help make sure they don’t miss out. The best way to ensure they’re ready to head back to the classroom or onto the field is by taking them to a back-to-school physical or scheduling a separate immunization-only appointment.

How vaccines and immunizations work to keep your child healthy

Vaccines are incredibly important. Health officials and experts place so much importance on vaccination because it helps protect us and those around us from preventable diseases like tetanus, HPV, polio, measles, meningitis and whooping cough.

Vaccines introduce disease antigens to the body, which triggers the immune system to produce antibodies and develop immunity without getting sick. The goal of vaccination is immunity to disease, so if your child is exposed to something they’ve been vaccinated against, they likely won’t become ill. Even if they do get sick, vaccinations can help shorten the duration and prevent more serious illness.

The difference between vaccines and immunizations

Vaccination and immunization are often used interchangeably, but they are different. A vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine into the body by an injection, or through the mouth or nose. And immunization is the process of becoming protected against a disease with a vaccination.

How the vaccine schedule was created

The first “harmonized” immunization schedule was released in the United States in 1995 by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Today, the ACIP meets three times a year to review the latest scientific research and make any necessary changes to the vaccination schedule. The CDC officially sets the schedule based on ACIP’s recommendations, and the schedule is also approved by the AAP, AAFP and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Delaying or spacing out a vaccination schedule for your child

Some parents wonder whether there are benefits to spacing out vaccines, or if following an alternative vaccination schedule is an option. Unfortunately, there isn’t any scientific basis for alternative or delayed vaccine schedules. But more importantly, delaying vaccines means kids are more vulnerable for extended periods of time.

Parents often ask if there are any reasons to not vaccinate their child or to delay vaccination, and the answer is: Yes. There are times when some children should not get certain vaccines, or they should wait.

For example, if your child has any severe, life-threatening allergy or if they’ve had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of certain vaccines, your child’s doctor may recommend not getting or delaying a specific vaccination. Or if your child is moderately or severely ill, your child’s doctor will likely advise you to wait on vaccinations until they recover.

It’s also important to know that every vaccine has its own guidelines on when to forgo or delay a vaccination. So, if you have questions about whether your child should or shouldn’t have specific vaccines, speak to your doctor to determine what’s best.

Keep your child healthy and up to date on their vaccines

Vaccines are the most effective tool we have for preventing certain diseases – and vaccination schedules help make sure kids are protected at the right ages and right times. If you have any questions about vaccinating your child, talk to their doctor. They can talk with you about your child’s medical and immunization history, give you more information on specific vaccines and why they’re recommended, listen to any concerns and answer any questions you may have.

If your child is due for their next round of shots or you need to get them caught up, make an appointment at your local HealthPartners or Park Nicollet clinic.