It’s that time again…

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah, 20-Mar-2011

It’s that time again… for vaccinations.

I’m the type of mum who is all for vaccinations. I gave Ayanna her mandatory vaccines and more (pneumococcal and rotavirus). And plan to do the same with Shamindra. Just the other day, Ayanna received her second dose of her Hepatitis A vaccine while I received my flu vaccination which I didn’t take while pregnant.

How do they work?
Immunizations are designed to protect against serious illnesses ranging from polio to measles and the seasonal flu.  Vaccines are made of weakened versions of the bacteria or virus that causes a particular disease. This results in the immune system mounting an attack that stimulates the body to produce antibodies. Once produced the antibodies remain active in the body, ready to fight off the real disease. An immunized child/ adult is much less likely to contract the disease than one who hasn’t been immunized.

A yearly dose of H1N1 flu vaccine is now recommended for children 6 months and older. Shamindra will be receiving his when he turns 6 months.

Have you kept to a strict immunization schedule for your children?