The race toward effective coronavirus vaccines against COVID-19 has been on for about a year now. In the meantime, you’ve been living with the reality of quarantines, lockdowns, and school closures.
It’s natural that some regular preventive medical care got postponed under these circumstances. If you delayed your child’s vaccinations to avoid coronavirus exposure, it’s now time to get caught up.
The team members at Katy Pediatric Associates are immunization specialists, and they’re the obvious choice for your child in the Katy, Texas area. Make an appointment now to get vaccinations back on track.
Apart from seasonal vaccines like for flu, which are given annually, most vaccines connect with a time in your child’s life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccines at certain ages, times when your child’s body is ready to form antibodies in response to the vaccine, or when your child is more likely to be exposed to certain pathogens.
This starts at birth with hepatitis B vaccines, given before you leave the hospital or birth center. You’ll follow up with your pediatrician one or two months into your child’s life with a series of other vaccines, including against polio, whooping cough, and tetanus.
If you don’t have access to your child’s immunization records, you can compare their age to the CDC’s recommendations to establish which vaccines they’ve most likely received, and which may be due or overdue.
Also, the Texas Department of State Health Services publishes minimum vaccine requirements for students here.
Depending on the missed vaccines, your child could be at risk of illness due to a vaccine-preventable disease (VPD). It’s your responsibility as a parent to inform medical professionals who may come into contact with your child that they’re not fully vaccinated. This includes urgent care and emergency facilities, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and doctors’ offices.
It’s not just your child who’s at risk from a VPD. They could contract an illness and spread it to other, more vulnerable people. VPDs that are still active in the United States include influenza, whooping cough, chicken pox, and, of course, COVID-19.
There are no known benefits gained by delaying or skipping immunizations, so talk to the doctors at Katy Pediatric Associates about a safe catch-up program for your child. The practice now offers telemedicine appointments, so you can discuss your child’s vaccine needs with your pediatrician without having to visit the office.
If you need an in-person appointment, rest assured that Katy Pediatric Associates observes all COVID-19 protocols to limit interpersonal exposure. You can discuss current safety measures when you make your appointment.
You can request an appointment by phone at 281-492-7676, or through the online booking tool. Vaccination ensures your child’s good health, now and well into the future, so start the process today.
