- Image via Wikipedia
Every child comes in contact with millions of viruses and bacteria in the first few months of her life. A body has the capability to develop immunity to these germs, but with the increasingly resistant germs, many babies never get the chance to develop the required immunity. To protect the newborns from different viruses and bacteria, vaccines are provided. Vaccines are given to children of 2 months old to 18 years old orally or intravenously. Vaccines prevent child from fatal diseases and guards the health of the baby. The use of vaccines is to improve the immune system of the baby. A vaccine gives good immunity which helps the body to fighting against the infection. Vaccines for controlling small pox and polio are given commonly to every newborn and that is one of the reasons that these diseases have been almost been eliminated now. Vaccines contain a part of the infected viruses and when administered to a child, they produce antibodies to protect the body.
The first vaccination is given when the baby is of 2-3 months old. A series of polio vaccinations are given combined with influenza-B, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and pneumococcal infection. When the baby is of 13 months old, a common vaccination for measles, rubella and mumps is given. This triple vaccine eliminates the chances of developing autism. At 3 to 5 years a combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio vaccinations are given. At the age of 9 and 12, injections for hepatitis are provided. Finally a combined injection of tetanus, polio and diphtheria is given at the age of 13-18.Vaccines for tuberculosis are also given. Usually newborn babies have a certain level of natural immunity to diseases which is obtained by breast feeding. The breast milk of the mother is full of antibodies which develop the immune system of baby thus providing immunization against diseases like viral fever, cold, cough etc.
