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Infant & Child Vaccine
When it comes to your child, one of your top concerns is providing the protection they require to grow strong and stay healthy.
Thanks to immunizations, today’s parents no longer need to worry as much about childhood infections and diseases. These vaccines have been proven effective at helping provide children with support for their developing immune systems.
What are vaccines?
Vaccines use very small amounts of antigens to help your child’s immune system recognize diseases and learn to fight them. Antigens include any substance that causes the body’s immune system to respond and go to work fighting the virus.
Vaccines are safe and effective for children. By following your child’s immunization schedule and getting them vaccinated as recommended by pediatricians, you can help protect them from serious vaccine-preventable diseases.
Recommended Vaccines for Children
Today’s vaccines help protect children from these diseases:
A disease caused by bacteria that live in an infected person’s mouth or throat, spread through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms can include a sore throat or fever, and it may cause difficulty breathing.
A disease caused by bacteria spread through the air by coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include ear infections and serious throat swelling. It mostly affects children under five years old.
A contagious liver disease found in bowel movements that can spread by personal contact or through contaminated food or water.
A virus that is spread through contact with infected blood or other body fluids or from mother to baby at birth. It can cause liver disease and yellow skin or eyes (jaundice).
A respiratory virus that is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, talking or from surfaces that have the virus on them. The flu affects each person differently and symptoms vary.
A very contagious virus that can cause a rash all over the body, fever, runny nose and cough. It spreads through the air by coughing, sneezing and even breathing.
(For infants and children with certain health conditions.)
A contagious virus with no treatment. It spreads through the air and can cause fever, headache and inflammation of the salivary glands, leading to swelling of the cheeks and jaws.
A highly contagious disease caused by bacteria spread through the air. It can cause violent coughing spells that can affect eating, drinking and breathing.
A disease caused by bacteria spread through the air or by direct contact with infected saliva or mucus. It’s very dangerous for children and can cause ear and sinus infections, pneumonia and meningitis.
A very contagious disease that is spread through the air or through contact with the stool of an infected person. It can invade the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I vaccinate my child?
Protection to play!
Babies are born with immune systems that have the ability to fight many germs, but they are not strong enough to fight some infections. Vaccines work to reinforce your child’s immune system to help prevent and protect against many serious – and even deadly – illnesses.
As our children grow, they are exposed to more germs in their environment. Germs are spread through the food children eat and the air they breathe.
Find more resources on protecting your little one through Shots for Tots – Louisiana’s Infant Immunization Initiative.
When do I vaccinate my child?
Talk with your child’s doctor to determine the best approach to ensuring your child keeps up with his/her vaccinations.
Children should receive a majority of the recommended vaccines by age two. Additional vaccines are recommended before the start of school and then again as a preteen/teenager.
Has your child gotten off schedule? It’s not too late to get them back on track. Talk with your child’s doctor to determine the best approach to ensuring your child keeps up with his/her vaccinations.
Vaccines & School Attendance
For children to attend school, Louisiana state law requires that children receive specific vaccines according to their vaccine schedule. Learn more about these requirements and find additional vaccine resources below.