Childhood Vaccines

by Audra Kennedy, MD

Types of Vaccines

• Hepatitis B (3 doses) & Hepatitis A (2 doses)

• Pneumonia – “Prevnar 13” (4 doses)

• DTaP (5 doses) & Tdap (1 dose) – Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis 

• Hib (3-4 doses) - Haemophilus influenza b

• Polio – “IPV” (4 doses)

• MMR (2 doses) – Measles, Mumps, Rubella

• Varicella (2 doses) – Chicken Pox

• Meningitis – “Menveo” (2 doses)

• HPV – “Gardasil” (2-3 doses) – Human Papilloma Virus

Vaccines protect against diseases that can cause the following:

• Liver disease

• Pneumonia and respiratory illnesses

• Nervous system and muscle dysfunction (that can be permanent)

• Meningitis

• Genital cancers

• Discomfort due to rashes, fevers, headaches, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing

• Hospitalizations and Death

Common fears about vaccinating children

Most of us don't know what ingredients are in vaccines. In all childhood vaccines combined (so over 16-18 years of life), exposures equal:

• Aluminum: 7.35 mg which is equal to 2 mg in one regular sized chocolate bar or 1.5 mg in 20 slices of bread (10 sandwiches)

• Formaldehyde: 0.7 mg which is equal to 1.2 mg in one apple or 7.4 mg in one pear

This is common among almost all ingredients – we are exposed to much more in life than via vaccines.

Benefits Outway Fears

Modern day vaccines have been well studied over many years to many decades to reach today’s standards. Some of the benefits include:

• Helps initiate your body’s natural disease fighting abilities to help fight diseases naturally but without suffering the consequences of illness.

• Safe

• Serious side effects are very, very rare

• Most common side effects are redness, warmth, and possible skin irritation at the site of injection; easily treated with ice packs and medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen

For your child’s health, please have them vaccinated. If you have questions or concerns, ask your doctor.