Vaccinations Specialist

What are vaccinations?

A vaccination, or immunization, is a preventive health measure that exposes your immune system to dead or weakened strains of a particular virus or bacteria.

Your child’s Southern Nevada Pediatric Center provider administers vaccinations via injection or nasal spray.

Once the vaccination enters your child’s bloodstream, it encourages the formation of antibodies. Antibodies support and protect your immune system. They help neutralize deadly viruses and bacteria, lowering your child’s risk of illness and other serious health problems.

What diseases do vaccinations help prevent?

There are dozens of vaccinations available. At Southern Nevada Pediatric Center, the team regularly administers all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccinations at age-appropriate checkup to protect against common diseases such as:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Whooping cough
• Polio
• Tetanus
• Rotavirus
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Chickenpox

The team also offers influenza vaccinations. Children, particularly young children, are especially susceptible to influenza-related complications. If your child receives an influenza shot, they’re much less likely to come down with the flu.

Are vaccinations safe?

Vaccinations are safe and well-tolerated. Before they’re licensed and released to the public, every vaccination undergoes extensive testing by regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What’s more, the FDA continues to monitor the vaccine’s success and safety after it’s released.

The majority of side effects caused by vaccinations are minor. For example, your child might develop a low-grade fever or experience soreness at the injection site.

However, these issues should improve in 24-48 hours. In addition, there’s absolutely no evidence that vaccinations cause autism. This is a medical myth that is not scientifically proven.

How many vaccinations does my child need?

All newborns receive their first vaccination (hepatitis B) at birth in the hospital. There are 14 other diseases that the team at Southern Nevada Pediatric Center and CDC recommend you protect your child against.

During the first two years of your child’s life, the team administers these necessary immunizations during well-child checkups.

If you have any questions or concerns about vaccinations, don’t hesitate to bring them up. The doctors at Southern Nevada Pediatric Center love educating their patients and want you to feel comfortable every step of the way.

Whether you’ve just had a baby and you’re ready to start the vaccination process, or you’ve recently relocated to the Las Vegas area and need to establish care for your family, the team at South Nevada Pediatric Center can help. Request your vaccination consultation today by calling the office or clicking the online booking tool.