Staying Up to Date on Vaccines

It's National Infant Immunization Week which focuses on protecting kids ages 2 and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases by staying up to date on their vaccines!

It is an important week- National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) which runs from April 24-30th this year. Crazy to think that I don't have a baby anymore and that my youngest is 2 1/2 years old but man, I remember those days like it was yesterday. Sleepless nights, so many diapers, feeding a baby all hours of the day and lots of doctors checkups. During the first two years of life, babies get a bunch of their very important vaccines which is why I wanted to chat about NIIW.

NIIW is observed each year to focus on protecting kids ages 2 and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases. They also focus on making sure that kids are going to their regular well-child visits. I know that during the beginning of covid, Lily fell behind just a bit on her vaccines since we were up north and not going to regular doctors appointments. We quickly caught up a few months later since those vaccines are so important. 

If you have a young child, I highly recommend checking in with your child's pediatrician to make sure that they are all caught up on their necessary vaccines. In May 2020, the CDC released a report that showed a drop in routine childhood vaccinations. It is so important to stay on top of these basic vaccinations so that your child does not get a preventable illness.

Even during COVID-19, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends staying on top of well-child appointments and routine vaccines. As you can see in these photos, we have been having FUN! We went to Florida over February break and getting some sunshine was just what we needed. With all activities resuming and the kids being in school, it is important to me to have the kids up to date on their vaccines. 

Now, we are at the ages that the kids just go to a pediatrician appointment annually and as needed and those appointments are still very important. By age 2, kids get vaccines to protect them from 14 different diseases including whooping cough and measles. Although sometimes the loudest voices are the ones from parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, most parents do choose to get their child the vaccines that they need to be healthy and safe.

My recommendation:

1. Make sure your child is up to date on their pediatrician visits.

2. Follow your doctor's recommended vaccine schedule to make sure your child is up to date on their vaccines.

I Vaccinate is a wonderful resource for providing helpful information based on medical science and research to help Michigan residents protect their families from vaccine-preventable diseases. Learn more about which vaccines to get and when, the safety of vaccines and more.

This post is sponsored by I Vaccinate. I am proud to partner with them to help promote the importance of vaccines!