Staying on Track of Your Child's Immunization Schedule
- posted: Oct. 23, 2020
Immunizations protect your child against the dangers of communicable diseases such as measles, chickenpox, influenza, pneumonia and more. At West End Pediatrics, in Alexandria, VA, our pediatricians believe all children should receive these important medicines. Dr. Lisa Rainey and Dr. Perdita Taylor-Zapata want their patients, families and the general public informed and safeguarded.
Staying on track
In our Alexandria, VA, office, we follow the immunization guidelines and schedules set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That means your child will receive passive immunity--that is, form antibodies--against from 14 separate communicable diseases.
Protection begins at birth, and vaccine schedules cover the 0 to 6 year age group and ages 7 to 18. There's even a published catch-up schedule for youngsters behind on their shots because of illness, disability, ongoing cancer treatment or other serious circumstances.
Drs. Rainey and Taylor-Zapata administer immunizations during well-child visits at their Alexandria, VA, office. Also, we maintain your child's shot record and distribute it to schools, daycare, sports teams and other organizations per your request.
Disease prevention is so important
Before the development of important immunizations such as the polio vaccine, children routinely died or suffered serious, lifelong complications from communicable diseases. Polio, for example, was commonly called infantile paralysis, because of the limited limb movement and respiratory suppression this disease causes.
So, disease prevention is critical during childhood and beyond. In fact, the more children--and adults--receive vaccines, the more the general public is protected. People who, for medical reasons, cannot be immunized, also benefit from this so-called herd immunity, says the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact West End Pediatrics
In our Alexandria, VA, office, our team of caring professionals believe preventing sickness and disability is key to pediatric health and well-being. If you have questions about routine immunizations for your child, please contact Dr. Rainey or Dr. Taylor-Zapata: (703) 823-7400.
