Doctor Talks About The Importance Of Childhood Vaccinations

Photo provided by the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Photo provided by the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Doctor Talks About The Importance Of Childhood Vaccinations 

By Tia Carol Jones

With all the talk about vaccinations for children, parents can be overwhelmed and unsure when and what vaccinations their children should be receiving.

Dr. Alexander Sloboda is the Medical Director of Immunization and Emergency Preparedness Programs in the Health Protection Bureau at the Chicago Department of Public Health. Sloboda said there are 14 different vaccines that children should be getting from the time they are newborns through their teenage years. He said the schedule that has been created for when children should get those vaccines is based on science and research.

Some of those vaccines include Hepatitis B vaccine, which children should get at birth and protects them from a virus that can affect a person’s liver. At two months, children should get vaccines that protect against polio, tetanus and whopping cough. Around one years old, children should get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as the varicella chicken pox vaccine. Once the children receive the initial vaccinations in those early years, they should get the boosters of those vaccinations a couple times throughout their childhood.

Sloboda said the goal of children getting boosters is to boost their immune system and ensure they continue to have immunity and protection against these infectious diseases. He said that the booster schedule is based on the doctor’s advice, which is why it is important that parents and guardians have a relationship with a pediatrician, nurse practitioner or family medicine doctor. He said the healthcare provider can walk them through what is due at each visit and what is due at future visits. Sloboda said at the Chicago Department of Public Health, there are immunization clinics, where families can check their children’s vaccine records and see what they need. There are four immunization clinics in the city: Uptown, Pilsen, Greater Lawn and Roseland.

Sloboda said in the State of Illinois, there is a vaccine registry, where vaccine records are put in a protected registry for another healthcare provider to access later on. He said that it can be a way for parents to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccines. He added that schools also keep vaccination records of students.

Sloboda said it is important that parents follow the vaccination schedule for their children. He said that young children are most vulnerable for getting infections and that is why parents should stay on top of the vaccinations and the vaccination schedule. He said it is the best way for children to have the best and most full protection possible.

“The vaccines are training your body, the child’s immune system to recognize these infectious diseases without harming them, so they can develop the antibodies, the white blood cells, which are the parts of the body that if the child ever sees the real virus or bacteria, the body already knows what it is and can get rid of it, without the child getting sick,” he said.

There is also a Vaccines for Children program that ensures every child has access to free vaccines. Sloboda said the program makes sure there are no barriers to children being able to receive vaccines. He said there are more than 300 doctor’s offices that provide the free vaccines to children.

Sloboda provided the link to a resource about Measles, www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cdph/infectious_disease/measles/flyer-myths-facts/Measles-Myths-vs-Facts_v6.pdf, that parents and families can use.

Also, for more information about the Chicago Department of Public Health, visit www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph.html.

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