Keiki Immunizations
Being a parent is a big job, and the main goal is to keep your children healthy.
That’s why it’s so important to protect your children from harmful diseases
with vaccinations. Vaccines are safe, effective, and a covered benefit of most HMSA
health plans. Give your children a lifetime of protection; keep them up to date
on their vaccinations.
Below is a list of the vaccinations and the recommended doses each child should
get by age 2:
- Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) – 4 doses. Diphtheria
causes breathing problems and heart failure; tetanus (or lockjaw) causes painful
tightening of the muscles; pertussis (whooping cough) causes long and violent coughing
spells.
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) – 4 doses. Hib disease
can lead to meningitis, pneumonia, infection and brain damage.
- Hepatitis A (HepA) – 2 doses. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver
disease that can cause jaundice, severe stomach pain, and flu-like symptoms.
- Hepatitis B (HepB) – 3 doses. Hepatitis B can cause liver damage
or liver cancer.
- Influenza – 2 doses. Influenza (the flu) is a highly contagious
virus that’s common in children. It causes fever, headache, coughing and sore
throat, and can lead to pneumonia.
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) – 1 dose. Measles cause fever
and rash and can lead to pneumonia; mumps cause fever and gland swelling and can
lead to meningitis; rubella causes fever, rash and severe swelling.
- Pneumococcal (PCV) – 4 doses. Pneumococcal disease can lead to
meningitis, blood and ear infections, deafness, pneumonia, and brain damage.
- Polio (IPV) – 3 doses. Polio is very contagious and can lead to
paralysis of the muscles.
- Rotavirus (RV) – 3 doses. Rotavirus is a common virus that causes
dehydration and about 70,000 hospitalizations each year.
- Varicella – 1 dose. Varicella zoster is a herpes virus that causes
chickenpox, which can lead to shingles and pneumonia.
Common Myths About Vaccines
Currently, more than 30 percent of babies in the U.S. aren’t getting the vaccines
they need. There are many reasons why parents do not vaccinate their children. But
the American Academy of Pediatrics believes that vaccines are one of the most successful
medical advancements of all time.
Here are some common myths about vaccines:
- Myth: Most vaccine-preventable diseases are no longer around.
Fact: Although the rate of infectious diseases has been greatly reduced, vaccine-preventable
diseases can still spread rapidly. Immunizations help keep the rates of these diseases
low. That’s why it is important to keep up with your children’s immunizations.
- Myth: Thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines that contains mercury, is harmful
for children.
Fact: Thimerosal keeps vaccines free of bacteria and is found in only some vaccines.
According to the FDA, the levels of mercury in vaccines is safe. Studies have never
shown that mercury at the level used in vaccines causes health problems. If you’re
still concerned, there are vaccines available that don’t contain preservatives.
- Myth: Vaccines cause autism.
Fact: Thorough and ongoing research shows no link between the two. According to
a recent verdict by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, years of scientific research
has found no risk of vaccines causing autism. In three separate claims, the court
ruled that there was no solid evidence that vaccines are to blame for the neurological
disorder. For more information on these verdicts, visit the
CDC’s Autism Decision page.
- Myth: Vaccines aren’t safe.
Fact: Vaccines are tested and monitored very carefully. Vaccines have saved millions
of lives and have reduced the threat of many diseases that used to be common. To
learn more about vaccine safety, visit the
CDC’s Vaccine Safety page.
- Myth: Vaccines are inconvenient.
Fact: Stay up to date with your well-baby visits and keep an organized chart of
your baby’s vaccines to make it easy to combine routine care visits with vaccine
schedules. Most HMSA plans cover well-baby and well-child visits that include routine
and preventive care such as immunizations. (QUEST visits are called early periodic
screening, diagnosis and treatment [EPSDT] visits.) Check your plan benefits to
see how many visits are covered per year. For an interactive childhood immunization
schedule, click
here .
Visit HMSA’s Immunize page for
more information on immunization schedules. Following this schedule is an easy way
to keep your children up to date with their immunizations. Click here to contact
HMSA’s Customer Service if you
have questions about your well-baby/well-child or EPSDT plan benefits.
- Myth: Infants are too young to get vaccinated.
Fact: Newborn babies have a temporary immunity to some diseases because of antibodies
they get from their mother, but this immunity doesn’t last long. Getting vaccines
on time is important. Many diseases such as mumps, chickenpox and whooping cough
can be prevented with vaccines. Young children are especially susceptible to these
since their bodies may not be strong enough to fight the diseases. Visit the CDC’s Vaccines &
Immunizations page for more information.
- Myth: Children get too many shots.
Fact: While it may seem that there are many vaccines, newborns can handle them.
Once a baby leaves the mother’s womb, they are exposed to many new viruses
and bacteria, and the cells in their immune system work hard to fight them. Visit
the CDC’s
Vaccines & Immunizations page for more information.
For more information on immunizations, visit any of the following resources:
