Once you’ve move to a new city or town, finding a pediatrician is never easy. You obviously want the best for your child and you know the best is out there. The trouble is, where exactly can you find it? One good way to start the search is by scouting out pediatric care clinics in the area before you even move. That way, you already have a leg up by the time you arrive.
One of the reasons finding the right pediatric physician is important is because of vaccines. There is often a set schedule of when infants should have their shots and it must be adhered to in order to help them build up their immunity. Of course, some have argued against the very idea of vaccinations, and because they have the benefit of a national television audience, their misinformed ideas tend to get traction. But you know better. You know how vaccines help prevent 2.5 million deaths every single year.
That’s why it’ll help to understand the exact itinerary of your children’s vaccines before they’re even born — and certainly before you move to a new location and find a new pediatric physician. For starters…
Birth to six months old.
When a child’s born, he or she should immediately be vaccinated against hepatitis B. In the coming months, the doctor should vaccinate for RV, DTaP, Hib and PCV a total of three times (and IPV a total of two) until he or she is six months old. These are the core set of vaccines all infants should receive in order to defend against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, influenza and rotavirus.
Six to 12 months old.
When your baby gets a bit older, you should take him or her back to the pediatric office in order to undergone the next round of vaccines. These include another booster for hep B and everything else listed above. In addition, the MMR (for measles, mumps and rubella), varicella and hep A vaccines should all be administered as well.
12 months and beyond.
Besides a yearly flu shot, there’s not much to do every single year except regular boosters against hep A and some of the other ones above. For a more complete picture, always consult your pediatric physician. And if your child doesn’t contract chicken pox with the rest of his or her classmates, that might another vaccine to look into for the future.
For more information on childhood diseases and how to fight against hem, find pediatricians in your area and start asking some questions. More like this article.