Why Immunize Your Child?
Immunizations are one of the most important ways parents can protect their children against dangerous diseases. Before the widespread use of immunizations in the U.S., infectious diseases killed or disabled thousands of children every year.
It is important for parents to realize that even though the actual number of vaccine-preventable illness has decreased, these diseases still exist.
Talk to your child’s pediatrician to be sure that your child is fully immunized. If your child misses a dose, contact our office to schedule an appointment to make it up.
| Disease | Danger of Disease / Why Immunize? |
| Polio | Causes paralysis that may become permanent. |
| Measles | Rash that can cause pneumonia and brain damage. Complications are more common among children who are younger than 5 years and adults older than 20 years. |
| HIB | Can cause bacterial meningitis and can lead to deafness, seizures, mental retardation and death. |
| Pertussis | Can be a severe illness that can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain disease and death. |
| Rubella | Infants born to infected mothers can develop heart defects, mental retardation and deafness. |
| Varicella(chickenpox) | Itchy rash that can lead to serious skin infections, pneumonia, brain infection and shingles. |
| Hepatitis B | Can develop lifelong infection that can lead to liver disease and liver cancer. |
| Diptheria | Frequently causes heart and nerve problems. |
| Tetanus | Severe, often fatal disease causing stiffness and spasms of the muscles. |
| Mumps | Can cause deafness, swelling of the brain and nerves, and spinal cord damage leading to paralysis and seizures. |
| Pneumococcal Infections | In the U.S., it is estimated that pneumococcal infections cause 200 deaths, 700 causes of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bacteremia and 4.9 million cases of otitis media (ear infections) annually in children under 5 years. |
| Meningococcal Disease |