Reasons Why Timely Vaccination is Important For Newborns And Children

Timely Vaccination is a Priority

Vaccines help in boosting the immune system of an individual to protect against deadly and dangerous diseases.¹ The administration of vaccines is called VACCINATION.² Mostly, newborns and children are the front-line patients who get affected by deadly diseases like measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough [pertussis], etc. If timely vaccination is avoided for any reason, the child or newborn will be left unprotected and can become infected and/or carriers for those diseases. This can lead to the spread of disease to other healthy individuals in the community as well.³ All the medical professionals advise every parent or guardian to vaccinate their newborn babies to protect them from life-threatening diseases and to control the community spread.

More than half of the world’s children miss out on vital vaccinations that are required for them to get protection against deadly diseases. 1.5 million deaths can be avoided if all the children were vaccinated on time.⁴ In 2014, the Indian government implemented an immunization program called MISSION INDRADHANUSH to vaccinate all the children against deadly diseases and outbreaks.⁵

Top Reasons why your baby/child should be vaccinated on time and delayed:

• Stronger immune system/immunity

The immune system is the natural protection against diseases. Babies or newborns’ immune systems will not be fully developed and so they do not have proper protection from deadly diseases. Vaccination is provided to boost the immune system to develop stronger immunity. Newborn babies or children who are vaccinated as directed by their doctors will have the best and strongest immune system and reduce their risk of infection from life-threatening diseases.⁶

• Protection from deadly diseases:

Babies who are not vaccinated can easily catch an infection. Vaccination for a baby is very essential to develop immunity against those diseases. E.g. To get protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; infants require 3 shots of Tdap [Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis] vaccine. Younger children should get booster shots as recommended by the doctor.³

• Immunity at the right time:

Children who are vaccinated just before exposure to deadly diseases may not develop antibodies as the vaccine takes time to show its action in boosting the immune system. Vaccinating the children and newborn babies at the right time can help in producing antibodies that provide stronger immunity. By doing so, they develop stronger immunity at the right time and get protection from deadly diseases.³

• Social responsibility:

Infants and children should be vaccinated in their early stages and throughout adulthood to reduce the risk of infection. If they are left unprotected, they can be affected by serious diseases and can transmit to other children who are not vaccinated and/or with poor immunity. Vaccinating the child can reduce the incidence of the diseases and reduce the economic and social burden of diseases on communities.⁷

Vaccination should not be delayed for any reason as this can leave the baby unprotected from deadly diseases. So, one should not skip or miss any dose of the vaccine even during the pandemic. Vaccination against deadly diseases helps the baby to develop antibodies and protects them from those life-threatening diseases.⁷

References:

1. WHO. Vaccines and immunization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1. Accessed October 2023.
2. CDC. Immunization: The basics. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htm. Accessed October 2023.
3. UNICEF. Vaccines for children: Your questions answered. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/health/parents-frequently-asked-questions-vaccines. Accessed October 2023.
4. UNICEF. Immunization. https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/immunization. Accessed October 2023.
5. MOHFW. Mission Indra Dhanush Operational Guidelines 2016.
6. CDC. How vaccines strengthen your baby’s immune system. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/strengthen-baby-immune.html#:~:text=Babies%20are%20born%20with%20immune,learn%20to%20fight%20serious%20diseases. Accessed October 2023.
7. WHO. Counting the impact of vaccines. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/counting-the-impact-of-vaccines#:~:text=Immunization%20saves%20lives%20and%20protects,declined%20by%20nearly%20a%20quarter. Accessed October 2023. CL Code: NP-IN-PVU-WCNT-240002