What are the Reasons to Vaccinate My Baby?

"Protecting your child’s health is very important to you. Giving your baby all the recommended vaccines by age two is the best way to protect her from 14 serious childhood diseases. Choose immunization; it’s the powerful defense that’s safe, proven, and effective.

Raising a child means you’d do anything to help them grow up healthy and safe. You watch them as they explore new places and baby proof your home against potential hazards. But, what about the hazards you can’t see that can cause serious illness, disability, or even death in young children? Immunization gives you the power to protect your baby from 14 serious childhood diseases. No matter what parenting challenges come your way, there are many reasons to vaccinate.

Serious Diseases Are Still Out There

Vaccines are one of the top public health achievements because they have reduced or even eliminated many diseases. Thanks to vaccines, most young parents have never seen the devastating effects diseases like polio, measles, or whooping cough (pertussis) can have on a child, family, or community. It’s easy to think these are diseases of the past, but they still exist. Children in the United States can—and do—still get some of these diseases. In fact, when vaccination rates are low in a community, it’s not uncommon to have an outbreak.

Diseases Don’t Stop at the Border, and Many Can Spread Easily

You may have never seen a case of polio or diphtheria, but these diseases still occur in other countries. For example, measles is rare in the United States because of vaccination, but it is still common around the world. Unvaccinated travelers who are infected while abroad can easily bring the diseases to the United States.

After reaching the U.S., measles can spread quickly among unvaccinated people. In 2014, the United States had a record number of measles cases (667) and many were associated with cases brought from the Philippines, which experienced a large measles outbreak. Most of these people were not vaccinated, or didn’t know if they were vaccinated, and nearly all the cases were associated with international travel. From January 1 to July 14, 2018, 107 people from 21 states were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated.."
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