What can parents do to promote their infant's health before the child is born?
What care do newborns receive in the hospital?
What are some of the basics of infant health?
What are the best strategies for feeding?
What is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?
What are some ways to promote infant safety in a car?
What can parents expect during their infant's well-child visits?
Why are immunizations important for my infant's health?
Immunization, also called vaccination or shots, is an important way to protect an infant's health. Vaccinations can prevent more than a dozen serious diseases. Failure to vaccinate may mean putting children at risk for serious and sometimes fatal diseases.1
Infants are particularly vulnerable to infections; that is why it is so important to protect them with immunization. Immunizations help prevent the spread of disease and protect infants and toddlers against dangerous complications.1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a list of diseases that can be prevented with vaccines, as well as the benefits and risks of vaccination.
The CDC publishes a schedule of immunizations recommended for infants. These recommendations are approved by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The CDC also offers an immunization schedule that can be customized for each child.
Open Citations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). For parents: Vaccines for your children. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/FAQs.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fparents%2Fparent-questions.html
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Content OwnerOffice of CommunicationsLast Reviewed Date 9/7/2021