Vaccination in Children
The minimum age for vaccination is at birth (CDC, 2018). BCG is the first vaccine given to children not less than twenty-four hours after birth followed by Hepatitis B vaccine. In countries where polio is endemic, the World Health Organization recommends that two drops of oral polio vaccine be given to children at birth (WHO, 2015).
I would give the child immunizations today because the child has reached the age of 6 weeks which is recommended for vaccination (WHO, 2015). The following immunizations are universally given to children at the age of six weeks, OPV2, IPV, DPT, Haemophilus influenza type B, pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccine. I will not change my decision of immunizing the child in case of traveling because Pakistan is a country known to have conditions such as polio which is life-threatening. It can also be a missed opportunity if the child is not immunized because of the uncertainty of later vaccination in Pakistan. However, I will give a note showing that the child was vaccinated so that the process is not repeated in Pakistan.
Most parents have wrong information about the side effects of vaccines given to children. The most common side effects are observed in Injectables, and they include pain, redness, and swelling in the region where the injection was administered (CDC, 2018). The solution is teaching the family on the common side effects of the vaccines. Reassurance after administration of the vaccines helps the family understand that the side effects are common and they always disappear with time. Parents who notice any adverse effects like intense pain, frequent crying of the baby and presence of pus at the injection site should report immediately to the healthcare facility so that immediate action is taken.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger, united states, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent-shell.html
World Health Organization. (2015). Summary of WHO Position Papers—Recommended Routine Immunizations for Children. Retrieved from http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4019.pdf
