(CLEVELAND CLINIC) - With the new year underway, now is a good time for parents to check with their pediatrician about childhood immunizations.
According to doctors, there has been a noticeable decline with some vaccines. And the pandemic is partially to blame. They say all of the childhood immunizations that are administered have been around for years and are proven safe. And by not giving your child the necessary vaccines, you're not only putting them at risk for infection – but it can also be life-threatening. Not to mention, diseases like the measles and mumps – which have largely been dormant thanks to immunizations – could resurface. Doctors add their best advice for parents is to be mindful of where they are getting their information. And to only trust reliable medical resources.
"We know what these vaccines do, we know that they save lives, and we know the risk of a child having a serious complication from a vaccine is almost non-existent. We see common side effects like fussiness, fever, irritability and those go away, but the impacts of some of these diseases don't go away," stated Dr. Kimberly Giuliano, Cleveland Clinic Children's.
Dr. Giuliano also notes that an unvaccinated child could also risk getting others sick, like an infant who hasn't been able to get all of their vaccines or someone who is immunocompromised.
