Protecting Your Child Through Vaccinations

As parents, there is probably nothing you would not do to safeguard your child’s health, for after all, no one wants their loved ones to fall ill! While there are some illnesses that may be prevented by means of optimal nutrition, there are some, however, that can and will strike even the healthiest of bodies. Diseases such as pertussis, mumps and measles, to name a few, do not discriminate between a healthy body or a weak one. The only means of prevention for these diseases are by immunizations via vaccines.

Vaccines, vaccinations and immunizations

Understanding the difference between vaccines, vaccinations, and immunizations need not be as complicated as it seems. The following will shed some light if you’re still in the dark:

Vaccine: A product consisting of a killed or weakened organism that produces immunity from a disease

Vaccination: The injection or administration of a vaccine into the body to produce an immunity in the body against a disease.

Immunization: The process by which a person or animal becomes protected from a disease. Vaccines cause immunization, and there are also some diseases that cause immunization after an individual recovers from the disease.

Protection from dangerous diseases

Vaccinations are safe and effective. They are the best defence we have against serious, preventable, and sometimes deadly diseases. All vaccines undergo long and careful review by scientists, doctors, and the federal government to make sure they are safe. Vaccinations protect children from serious illnesses and may even prevent amputation of an arm or leg, paralysis of limbs, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death.

If children aren’t vaccinated, they can spread a disease to other children who are too young to be vaccinated or to people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients and people with cancer. This could result in long-term complications and even death for these vulnerable people.

Care enough to vaccinate your child

Vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, mumps and even whooping coughs can be a threat and may strike with a vengeance at any time. Vaccinating a child against preventable diseases may help protect other family members too including the elderly.

Protecting your child made easy for you

The National Immunisation Programme in Malaysia advocates routine childhood immunisations for multiple infectious diseases. Vaccines against certain diseases are provided free by the government, so why not take advantage of this provision? You can have your child immunized at any Government clinic in your neighborhood.

What the vaccinations mean

• BCG: Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (for tubercolosis)
• DTaP: Diptheria, Tetanus, accellular Pertussis
• IPV: Inactivated Poliovirus
• Hib: Haemophilus influenzae b
• MMR: Mumps, Measles, Rubella
• DT: Diptheria, Tetanus
• HPV: Human papillomavirus
• TT: Tetanus

Investing in optional vaccines for your child’s health

The Ministry of Health takes care of many deadly diseases by providing free vaccinations. However, parents are highly encouraged to pay due attention to the optional vaccines which will be offered by their children’s doctors and seriously consider these vaccines. Calamity strikes without warning and many parents have found out the hard way that they should have paid more attention to the optional vaccines that were advocated by doctors. Most of the above are equally as important as the free vaccines provided by the Ministry Of Health and may protect your children and family against avoidable suffering and the risk of serious health complications.

Prevention is better than cure and it would be most unfortunate if the preventable was not prevented by something as simple as a vaccination. Talk to your doctor today!

Optional Vaccines:

• Pneumococcal (2 months up)
• Influenza (6 months up)
• Rotavirus (6 weeks to 6 months)
• Hepatitis A (10 months up)
• Chicken pox (12 months up)

The optional vaccines above can be obtained at private clinics or at any hospital of your choice.