Newborns & Toddlers Vaccinations
At Provida Family Medicine, we understand the recent skepticism surrounding vaccines. However, vaccinations are the strongest tool we have to help prevent your infant or toddler from contracting a serious but preventable illness or disease. We know that every parent wants to do what is best for their baby, and we can assure you that newborn vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect your baby, family, and community.
To have the most protection possible, we recommend that your baby be vaccinated in their first or second month of life, with booster shots as they grow and/or are needed.
Please refer to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s schedule for immunizations to see what vaccinations are recommended based on your child’s age.
Recommended Vaccinations
- Hepatitis B
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Polio
- Haemophilus influenzae Type B
- Pneumococcal (PCV)
Vaccinations are available at Provida Family Medicine, and can be administered during a routine check-up or a separate appointment can be made.
We encourage you to visit our online schedule for availabilities to schedule an appointment through our patient portal, or call or email us today.
Types of Vaccines
At Provida, we understand that as a parent, you want your children to be healthy, so you may have questions about the vaccines recommended for your child. We are always happy to answer any question you may have and provide you with the information you are looking for.
There are four main types of vaccines:
Attenuated (Weakened) Vaccines
Some vaccines use small doses of the viruses they prevent and are similar to the disease they fight. Attenuated vaccines are used to fight MMR, chickenpox, and rotavirus, and provide lifelong immunity.
Killed (Inactivated) Vaccines
Killed vaccines use dead forms of the virus and have less long-lasting protection, so multiple doses may be necessary. These are vaccines like Hepatitis A, flu, and polio shots.
Toxoid Vaccines
Toxoid immunizations protect against the parts of a germ that cause disease by using the harmful product of a germ. This is the type of vaccine is used for the DTaP vaccine.
Conjugate Vaccines
Conjugate vaccines use bacteria in combination with proteins to provides protection from the harmful parts of the germ. By using specific parts of the germ, they also have a long-lasting effect. These are vaccines like the Hib, Hepatitis B, HPV, pneumococcal, and meningococcal, and can be given to almost every immune system.