This post is sponsored by NSW Health
Immunisation of children is one of those topics which … you know … can get a bit cray cray. I always took immunising my kids very seriously and spent a lot of time reading and informing myself before my children were immunised. The idea of giving my child multiple injections with various different antigens was not my favourite. Having said that, the idea of my child getting a life threatening illness that could have been prevented was way worse.
During my research I discovered some interesting things which helped me know I was making the best decision for my children and I thought I would share a few of those below.
1) Vaccines Are The Only Way To Immunise.
That sounds weird right? Some people think it is better for your child to get the actual real life disease which gives them a better “natural immunity”. The problem with this theory is you don’t get immunity to diseases like hep B and polio you get the actual disease for life which can be fatal. Vaccines help us fight diseases without giving us the horrible side effects.
2) Vaccinations Prevent A lot of Deaths
On average vaccination prevents between 2-3 million deaths worldwide each year. (Source). Now I am not sure what you think about that but I personally feel like that is pretty awesome. I will admit that most of those would be in developing countries but the only reason we aren’t fighting those same fatal diseases right now in our country is because of vaccination.
3) Herd Immunity is Really Important
Vaccination is not just about the individual it is about the community. A certain number of people in communities need to be vaccinated in order to eradicate a specific disease or keep it under control so breakouts don’t happen. Polio is a perfect example of a life threatening disease which has been eradicated due to herd immunity vaccination. There are people in our communities who can’t be vaccinated including newborn infants and people with compromised immune systems. It is our responsibility as a community to help keep them safe and that is what herd immunity is all about.
4) There is no cure for measles
Meaning that if you get measles there is no treatment that the doctor can offer you. You or your child have to ride it out and treat the symptoms. Measles can be a nasty virus which leads to ear infection, pneumonia, encephalitis, brain damage and even death. Vaccination helped reduce measles deaths globally by 79% between 2000 and 2014. (Source)
5) Immunisations can save your family time and money
There are a total of 5 people in our family and I swear that at any given time at least one of us is sick with something. I find it hard to stay on top of all of the everyday general sicknesses my kids bring home from school and day care let alone having to deal with measles, chicken pox, tetanus or any of the crazy and intense diseases they could pickup if they were not vaccinated. Doctors’ visits, medication and time off work would all happen with any of these preventable illnesses costing our family a whole lot of money. We are very lucky to live in a country where immunisations are free.
6) Don’t Risk Getting Meningitis
Meningitis totally freaks me out mainly because it can result in sudden death or brain damage … yeah that! “Before vaccines were used, we would see 600 to 700 kids get meningitis every year. Now there are less than 10 cases in Australia annually. If you’re not immunised, your chance of being one of those cases is 20 times higher than if you are,” says Prof McIntyre. (Source)
7) Getting Vaccinated On Time Matters
The vaccination schedule exists for a reason and has been mapped out by doctors and scientists who know what they are doing. There are windows of opportunity for vaccinations for your child for certain diseases that if you miss can compromise their immunity to that disease leaving them at risk. Even a few weeks late can be problematic. If you can’t find the time to vaccinate your child on time then how are you going to find the weeks it will take to look after them if they get sick which you can’t ignore?
Luckily there is a simple smart phone app that has been designed to help work around busy and demanding schedules called “Save The Date”. It does all the work for you. Even if your baby has a runny nose or cough – mild colds and sniffles are common and there’s no need to delay your vaccination appointment unless baby also has a fever. If in doubt, call your doctor or nurse ahead of time to check.
You can find out all about the “Save The Date” smart phone app here.
You may also not be aware that the Australian Government has brought in changes from 1 January as part of the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ scheme which could affect your parenting payments. You can find out more information about the changes here.
1 Comment
So important to vaccinate. I wish people would realise the herd vaccination importance.