Settled on a vaccine schedule for your baby yet? Hold that thought. The American Academy of Pediatrics has come out with a new schedule that's supposed to be easier for us parents to read and follow.
The number of parents choosing to vaccinate on their own schedule has been increasing in recent years. As much as half the babies in a recent study were on a delayed schedule! It's awfully temping to come up with your own plan. But who are you going to listen to? Other moms or the AAP?
Here are the highlights of the new schedule to help you decide:
1. The AAP has NOT changed to a delayed schedule, instead sticking to the old timing and recommending parents follow the vaccine time table to the T to protect kids from the following 16 diseases: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type b (can cause meningitis, arthritis, pneumonia), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Influenza (flu), measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), meningococcal (can cause meningitis, sepsis), pneumococcal (incl. ear infections, pneumonia, meningitis), Poliomyelitis (polio), rotavirus, and varicella (chickenpox).
More from The Stir: Flu Shots for Kids: 11 Things Moms Need to Know
2. All pregnant women should get the whooping cough vaccine in the second half of their pregnancy. This is in response to whooping cough cases rising to a 50-year high, and it will enable moms to pass an immunity to their newborns that should help protect the baby until they're old enough to get the shot.
3. Parents no longer have to change lists when their kid hits 7. The new schedule will follow your child all the way from babyhood to 18.
4. Kids 4 to 6 and adolescents get a new focus in the new list. This is a period when there are traditionally fewer vaccines to worry about, but the AAP doesn't want parents to forget those that matter.
The CDC is already carrying an updated version of the new vaccine schedule.
Will you be following it with your baby?
Image via USACE Europe District/Flickr
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Comments 32
No I will not be. We follow a delayed schedule based on research and talking to the doctor (we compormised on things, he was able to jab my baby more than I originally wanted and he agreed to leave some until he is older without nagging me).
I am not pregnant but I was I would not get the pertussis vaccine, not until a nonbias party conducts a study on the safety of having it while pregnant.
Nope, I won't be. I refuse to let my child get 5+ vaccines in one day... we will spread them out. I am not against vaccines, but I do not think a child's system (or poor little legs) need to be attacked like "they" say it needs to be.
Nope, not happening. We stopped vaxing after my son had a very severe life threatening reaction. We stopped then. Surprisingly my kids don't get sick, go figure.
The schedule hasn't changed, and my kids will stay on schedule.
DD has been vaccinated on schedule. I don't know how some of yall doctors do it but she's never had more than 2 shots and 1 oral vaccine at a time anyway. Also, she's never been sick with the exception of 1 ear infection that only lasted a couple days.
NO!