Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Alternate Schedules For Vaccines

Many parents would still rather want to reduce the number of shots their kids get at once. One option is actually controversial, outlined by Dr. Sears in "The Vaccine Book". The following are the highlights:

Hepatitis B Vaccine:
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Give first dose at birth.
Dr. Sears: It's okau to wait until the preteen years since hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. It can start at the age of 10, to give the first dose.

Polio Vaccine:
AAP: Give at 2 months old.
Dr. Sears: Give at ages 1 or 2.

MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) Vaccine:
AAP: Give at age 1 with the chicken pox vaccine and a hepatitis A booster.
Dr. Sears: Wait until age 3 or 4, before entering school. He says that since the shot combines 3 live vaccines, it's more apt to cause side effects - particularly in younger kids with less-developed immune systems.

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