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Immunizing Young Kids Helps Prevent Major Diseases

Immunizations are one of the most important ways parents can protect their children against serious diseases.

Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, so it is critical they be protected through immunization. Vaccines have been one of the most important breakthroughs in medicine, says Dr. Craig Batterman, assistant professor of pediatrics at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. He explains the first vaccines given to infants.

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Some of the other diseases that children are vaccinated for include diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, meningitis, pneumonia, polio, chicken pox, mumps and measles. Dr. Batterman says that vaccines given to infants are very safe.

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If parents have questions about vaccines, they should talk to their child’s pediatrician or family physician, who can explain why infant vaccinations are so important. More information is available on-line from the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org.

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