Visits to your healthcare provider may have become a bit less regular over the past twelve months, but it’s never too late to get your children’s immunizations back on schedule! 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percent of children vaccinated by age 24 months: 

• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (4+ doses DTP, DT, or DTaP): 80.7%
• Polio (3+ doses): 92.6%
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) (1+ doses): 90.8%
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (primary series + booster dose): 79.6%
• Hepatitis B (Hep B) (3+ doses): 90.6%
• Chickenpox (Varicella) (1+ doses): 90.2%
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) (4+ doses): 81.0%
• Combined 7-vaccine series: 68.3%

Many of these vaccines are administered as a series of shots. If your child has missed a dose, it is okay, your child will not have to start over. We encourage you to bring your child in to continue to receive the doses as soon as possible. The risk of not keeping your child on the recommended vaccine schedule is the risk of the child becoming afflicted with the very disease the vaccine is trying to prevent. 

Although rare, vaccine-preventable diseases can occur in the United States and around the globe. Diseases such as whooping cough, chickenpox, Hib, and the Flu can range from mild to severe and even life-threatening. Vaccines are designed to help protect your child and your family.

We've aggregated a list of commonly asked questions about childhood vaccinations*:

(For additional questions visit the CDC)

Why do vaccines start so early for children? 

Children receive immunization early because they are susceptible to diseases at a young age. The consequences of these diseases can be very serious. Immunizations will prevent your child from being susceptible to these diseases. 

If your child is sick, can they still receive their immunizations?

Definitely share your concerns with your pediatrician. Children can usually get vaccinated even if they have a mild illness like a cold, earache, mild fever, or diarrhea. 

What are the ingredients in vaccines and what do they do? 

All ingredients play necessary roles either in making the vaccine or in ensuring that the final product is safe and effective

If I am breastfeeding my child, do they need to follow the standard vaccination schedule?

Breast milk does not protect children against all diseases. Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent many diseases. Your baby needs the long-term protection that can only come from making sure they receive all their doses.

There are so few of the diseases that vaccines are trying to prevent in the United States, why do we need to continue to vaccinate? 

Many of the diseases vaccines prevent are no longer common in this country because of vaccines. However, if we stopped vaccinating, the few cases we have in the United States could very quickly become tens or hundreds of thousands of cases. Even though many serious vaccine-preventable diseases are uncommon in the United States, some are common in other parts of the world. Even if your family does not travel internationally, you could come into contact with international travelers anywhere in your community. 

* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/FAQs.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fparents%2Fparent-questions.html

If you have questions about vaccinating your children, your Voyage Healthcare provider is happy to discuss them with you. We look forward to seeing you and your children back at our clinics as soon as you’re ready!