Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Summer 2020

4 HEALTH BEAT Pediatrics When is an ounce of pre- vention worth more than a pound of cure? When it has the potential to save your child’s life. Vaccines are like an ounce of prevention.They don’t take long to give. And insurance usually covers them. But they could keep your child from getting certain diseases—and help keep others safe from those diseases too. Here’s how: 1. Vaccines protect against life- threatening illnesses. Thanks to vaccinations, some diseases that used to injure or kill kids, like polio and smallpox, have been completely or nearly eliminated in the U.S. But other serious illnesses (such as menin- gitis, measles and whooping cough) are still around. Vaccinating your kids protects them—safely. Doctors and scientists review vaccines to ensure their safety. Very few children have serious side effects. And because most childhood vaccines are 90% to 99% effective in preventing disease, the benefits outweigh any possible side effects for most kids. 2. They protect others. Some diseases, like chickenpox and measles, are highly contagious. But getting your kids vaccinated greatly reduces their risk of catching these diseases—and passing them on to others.That’s especially good news for vulner- able people, including newborns who haven’t had all their shots yet. 3. They save time and money today and tomorrow. Vaccinated kids avoid diseases that could make them miss school.They’re also protected from illnesses that could lead to long-term disability, lost work time and wages, and high medical costs. For more about vaccinations, visit cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules . Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Kids’ ear infections: A wait-and-see approach When your child is feverish, fussy and tugging at an ear, this news may be mu- sic to your ears: The most common kind of ear infection—acute otitis media (AOM)—often clears up on its own. Within 24 hours, about 60% of chil- dren feel better. Within a few days, up to 90% are on the mend. That’s why, if your child has an ear infection, your doctor may ask you to wait a day or two to see if it goes away. In the meantime, ask your doctor if an over-the counter pain reliever (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) or numb- ing drops might help your child feel more comfortable. WHY NO ANTIBIOTICS? Antibiotics don’t ease pain in the first day of an ear infection. And they have only a small effect after that. Plus, using them when your child doesn’t need them may make future infections harder to treat. That’s why antibiotics should only be prescribed for: ●  ● Babies 6 months and younger. ●  ● Children with severe symptoms. ●  ● Children whose symptoms have not improved in two to three days. ●  ● Children less than 2 years of age with bilateral ear infections. Not sure what to do? To find a pediatrician, call 325-481-2287 . 3 great reasons to vaccinate your kids Srikanth Podaralla, MD, Pediatrics Immunization schedule DTaP = diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) Flu = influenza HepA = hepatitis A HepB = hepatitis B Hib = Haemophilus influenzae type b HPV = human papillomavirus IPV = polio MenACWY = meningococcal A, C, W, Y MenB = meningococcal B MMR = measles, mumps, rubella PCV13 = pneumococcal PPSV23 = pneumococcal Tdap = tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis VAR = varicella (chickenpox) VACCINES CHILDREN AND TEENS NEED Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) { 2 TO 18 YEARS } 2–3 4–6 7–10 11–12 13–15 16 17-18 HepB series DTaP DTaP Tdap Tdap Hib Hib PCV13 PCV13 PPSV23 IPV IPV IPV series Flu, yearly (1 or 2 doses) Flu, yearly MMR MMR MMR series VAR VAR VAR series MenACWY series HepA series HPV series HPV MenB MenACWY series Range of routinely recommended ages Range for certain high-risk groups Range for catch-up immunizations Range for non-high-risk groups subject to doctor’s advice These are general recommendations for children 2 years and older. Talk with your doctor about what is right for your child. Tdap