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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Health: Birth to 5
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Registry helps keep shots up to date Immunizations, shots, vaccinations – they all mean the same thing. Whatever you call them, no one likes to get them. Many parents have cried right along with the one who feels the actual needle prick. Yet healthcare providers are adamant your child needs these shots. What’s the big deal? Before there were immunizations, childhood diseases were common and many caused lifelong injury and even death. Did you know: • In 1916, a polio epidemic in the United States killed 6,000 people and paralyzed 27,000 more. • Measles was once a common childhood disease, killing more than 3,000 children each year. • Smallpox was once worldwide in scope; before vaccination was practiced, almost everyone eventually contracted the disease. • Diphtheria was once one of the most dreaded diseases, with frequent large-scale outbreaks. Thanks to dedicated physicians and researchers, all of these diseases and many others are now preventable with a simple procedure performed hundreds of thousands of times every day. You guessed it, immunization. Vaccinations have been around since the 1700s. They work with the body’s immune system to prepare it for the possibility of exposure to disease-causing viruses or bacteria. Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases eliminated, many diseases that used to routinely kill or harm thousands of children and adults each year. In fact, in the past century, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of children who die from childhood disease, and some diseases that were once common have virtually been wiped out. Your doctor will advise you about the immunization schedule for your child. Immunizations will include DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), polio, hepatitis B and others. Keeping to the schedule recommended by your doctor is the most effective way to help protect your child from illness. In California, schools require that you be able to provide proof that your child received all required vaccinations before entering kindergarten. This proof is usually recorded on a yellow card called “Vaccination Administration Record for Children and Teens.” Keep this important record in a safe place and take it with you every time your child goes to a doctor, clinic or hospital. California, including Orange County, has begun to record childhood immunization in a new way, through regional immunization registries. While not yet statewide, an immunization registry is a confidential, computerized online database that will contain only your child’s immunization information and no other health information. Immunization registries can allow your doctor, clinic or hospital to track and update your child’s immunization records, determine which vaccinations your child still needs, and help send reminder notices to you when your child is due. Through the registry, your child’s physician will be able to have the most up-to-date records. That way, if you lose your child’s “yellow card,” your doctor will be able to find your child’s information. Ask your doctor about the registry and how you and your child can participate. Healthy, happy children are every parent’s dream. One of the best ways you can guard your children against infectious disease is immunization. So hold their hand, reward them with an after-the-shot treat, cry along with them. . . but don’t put off their vaccinations! |
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