Families are focused on staying healthy during the pandemic. And that's the right thing to do, but health experts have an important reminder for parents. COVID-19 prevention shouldn't mean skipping your child's vaccines.
Vaccines help protect kids of all ages from serious diseases. Those include diseases like whooping cough and measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children get many of their shots by age 2.
Despite that recommendation, it seems that fewer kids have been getting their shots during the coronavirus crisis.
Doctors' offices are taking steps to keep their patients safe during checkups and vaccine visits.
If you think you may have fallen behind on your child's shots, talk to their doctor. They can fill you in on vaccine recommendations for your child.
Here are some shots that kids of different ages may need.
Infants and toddlers (birth to age 2 years)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis).
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).
- Chickenpox.
- Pneumococcal and Hib vaccines.
- Hepatitis A and B.
- Polio.
- Rotavirus.
Preschoolers and school-aged kids (ages 3 to 10)
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis).
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).
- Chickenpox.
- Polio.
Preteens and teens (ages 11 to 18)
- HPV.
- Meningitis.
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis).
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