Your Baby’s First Vaccination: Mini Parenting Masterclass

A pediatric nurse answers some of the most common questions parents have.

A child’s first vaccination can be a source of great anxiety for many parents. But there are ways to reduce this stress for both you and the baby. We asked pediatric nurse Dr. I spoke to Shannon McDonald,
a mother herself.

Transcript of the video ‘Your Baby’s First Vaccination: Mini Parenting Master Class’

As a mother, I know that vaccinating your child can cause a lot of anxiety. You don’t want to do anything that could hurt your baby. Injecting them for vaccination is therefore a source of great concern for parents. It’s important to note that there are many strategies you can employ in this regard.

My name is Shannon McDonald, and this is my mini parenting masterclass on giving your baby’s first vaccinations.

How can you help your child stay calm during vaccinations?

As a nurse, I have seen many parents who themselves are so concerned about the event that there is no way to keep the child calm. So in this case, just asking the parents to take a few deep breaths and talking to them in a calm voice is the biggest part of the job, and that’s true.

The most important thing for parents is to keep calm. Because if the parents are worried, it shows in the children too.

And then you can use different strategies for children. For example, numbing the vaccination site with a cream to reduce their pain, breastfeeding the baby during the vaccination – these can be really effective.

The next task is to divert attention; Allow the child to simply think about something else, look at a book or poster, or blow bubbles.

Why should parents be confident about vaccinating their children?

I understand that parents hear a lot of scaremongering about vaccines. I know they look things up on the internet and hear scary stories from friends. I just want to reassure them that the overwhelming evidence we have shows that vaccines are safe and effective. And these are by far the best ways to protect children from disease. Parents can therefore be assured that the health care provider is doing what is best for the child when vaccinating them.

How do vaccines work?

What vaccines do is prepare your immune system for future germs you may encounter. The idea is that your body’s immune system actually weakens the germs and protects you in the future. will heal

By vaccinating children and building their immune system to protect them against future diseases, their bodies are prepared to fight germs. Rather than allowing germs to spread, they are able to resist them.

Why is it important to vaccinate children at an early age?

It is really important for children to get vaccinated at a very young age. Because that is when they are most vulnerable to disease. If you vaccinate early, the child’s immune system builds up, and then when they encounter the disease, they are able to fight it.

And if children are not vaccinated at a young age i.e. they are unprotected, they are more at risk of contracting various diseases. Children are more prone to these diseases and it is sometimes difficult for them to fight against them. So it is important that they get vaccinated at a very young age.

Are vaccines safe?

All of the vaccines that are included in our routine childhood immunization schedule are rigorously tested and have a variety of safety monitoring processes in place after they are introduced to humans.

All the ingredients used to make a vaccine are carefully tested to make sure they are safe for children to take. Most ingredients occur naturally in your environment and are used in vaccines in very small amounts.

Vaccines do not suppress a child’s immune system. Because a child is already exposed to many microbes in their environment, and vaccines are only a small part of the amount of microbes children are exposed to daily. So they are not harmful for children.

What kind of side effects can parents usually expect in most cases?

A child usually has very few side effects after vaccination, so there is little need to stay home from school. These side effects include a slight fever, redness, or soreness around the injection site. And these are things you can handle at home.

Such mild side effects resolve within 12 to 24 hours or go away on their own. They do not cause any long-term problems.

Why is adherence to the vaccination schedule important?

Adherence to the vaccination schedule is important. These schedules were created by scientists and experts who have figured out the best time to get a vaccine and what diseases children are most vulnerable to.

In some countries, for example, certain diseases are very common and therefore require children to receive those vaccines early in life. So sticking to the vaccination schedule will protect your child from the diseases they are most at risk of contracting.