Vaccines Specialist
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Tots to Teen Medical Center
Pediatrics located in Vidalia, GA
Vaccines play a critical role in your child’s health and the health of our nation. At Tots to Teens Medical Center in Vidalia, Georgia, your family has access to all of the vaccines needed to attain optimal immunization at every age. If you’re overdue for one or more vaccines or would like a professional review of your child’s shot record, call the office today to book a visit. Online booking is also available and takes just moments.
Vaccines Q&A
What are vaccines?
Vaccines are training exercises for your immune system. They help your body build natural immunity by exposing your immune system to carefully controlled doses of germs.
A great deal of misinformation surrounds the topic of vaccination. Unfortunately, these myths convince some parents that vaccines are not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. In reality, a vast body of evidence supports the safety and efficacy of vaccines, even in very young children.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines are administered by injections. Each shot is formulated with a minute volume of a weakened or dead strain of a known germ, also called an antigen.
Your body recognizes the antigen as something that could be harmful and rushes to launch an attack to fight off infection. Antibodies are produced, and once your body has manufactured those antibodies, they remain in place for the rest of your life, ready to spring into action if you ever encounter that particular antigen again.
Your immune system can perform these tasks on its own, even without vaccination. The problem lies in the fact that some germs are so strong that they can overtake your system before your natural defenses can effectively fight back.
Why are vaccines important for public health?
Vaccines protect your child from disease, and they also create something called “herd immunity.” When a significant portion of a population has developed immunity to a given disease, those dangerous germs have a harder time infiltrating and surviving.
This is why Americans no longer live in fear of diphtheria or polio today, because most Americans have been vaccinated against those diseases. In other parts of the world, these and many other illnesses are still a serious public health issue.
Some of the vaccines recommended during childhood include:
- Hepatitis B
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (a combined vaccine)
- Influenza type B
- Polio
- Pneumococcal
- Rotavirus
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Measles, mumps, rubella (a combined vaccine)
- Human papillomavirus
Give your child the protection they deserve by coming in for routine vaccination. If you’re unsure if your child is up to date on their vaccines, call Tots to Teens Medical Center or schedule an appointment online today.
