We’re so grateful to the Worthey family for partnering with us to share their family’s story. View their full blog post here.
From day one of being parents, we’ve done the same thing to grow three healthy and kind human beings. We sang and talked to them in the womb, helped them navigate their first steps, and held them as they received their first immunization shot. Their health (physically, mentally, and emotionally) has always been our top priority.
When we first started planting vegetables and flowers in our garden, we had to do some research. We read up on caring for plants, watched videos on planting, caring for your flowers, etc.
The same goes for parenting and getting our kids vaccinated. We read the studies. We talked to other parents. We read up on the pros and cons. We asked their pediatrician questions. Resources like iVaccinate.org help parents navigate the different types of immunizations and concerns they may have. It’s okay to have questions. And it’s okay to talk to your child’s pediatrician about your concerns.
This last year has not been easy for anyone. We’ve learned how to navigate virtual school, do our best to keep everyone healthy and safe while keeping up with the challenges of living through a pandemic. I’ll admit we slacked off on a few health-related appointments.
With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and many places opening up for in-person appointments, I picked up the phone and made those necessary appointments. I am thankful to have three healthy boys who are up-to-date on all their vaccines and only need to see the doctor for their annual check-ups.
Before leaving quarantine, here is why it’s important to schedule those health appointments.
- Continuing to postpone your child’s well-visit means they can be susceptible to diseases, allow it to spread easily.
- Well-child visits allowing you to talk to your child’s doctor about any concerns you may have.
- During your child’s visit, their Pediatrician can examine your child and screen for possible health issues. Early prevention can make a huge difference in a diagnosis.
- With places opening back up, appointments are filling up fast. Scheduling your child’s appointment as soon as possible will give you more flexibility.
- If you’re planning to travel this summer, having your child up-to-date on all their immunizations will give you peace of mind.
- If your child has underlying health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, or obesity, being able to get them in for their wellness check and immunization shots can be essential to their health.
- We’re already in a pandemic; we want to avoid other outbreaks of preventable, potentially deadly diseases, like measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and mumps.
- Here are a few facts to keep in mind. Routine childhood immunization among children born over the past 25 years (1994-2018) is estimated to prevent: 419 million illnesses, 8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 early deaths over the course of their lifetimes.
But what if I don’t think it’s safe to take my child to the doctor with other possible sick children?
I would call your child’s doctor. Zayd’n had COVID earlier this year, and we were able to talk to his doctor through a telehealth appointment. Most offices do not allow sick children to come into the office. Most providers have safety procedures in place, such as checking in from the car, limiting how many people can go with a child, and requiring face masks. You should call your child’s doctor and inquire about their health procedures.
Another reason it’s important to make sure your child is up-to-date on their immunization shots is COVID-19.
Yes, kids can get COVID. We did everything right. We wore our masks. We socially distanced. We stayed at home as much as possible. We did our best to stay safe. We took our vitamins; we did everything. And COVID still found us. COVID-19 is no respecter of person. Anyone can get it. Since Zayd’n is up-to-date on all of his immunizations, his body had one job- to fight the virus. Even though he’s a healthy child, this virus can cause serious, life-threatening problems.
There is no way to know how COVID will affect you or your child. According to the CDC data from December 2020, 185 children under 18 have died from COVID-19. 52% of children younger than 18 who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had an underlying condition.
Last week, news dropped that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for use in children/teens ages 12-15. There are clinical trials underway for younger children. As a mom, I want my children to be as protected as possible. I also want my children to be well-informed and not just take our word for it as their parents. Ensuring vaccines are safe is a critical process that begins during vaccine development and clinical trials and continues after vaccines are authorized or approved for use. This process has been used for vaccines for flu, polio, measles, mumps, pertussis, and more.
Reason #12432 to make sure your kids are up-to-date on their immunizations
Since the twins are 18, they made their own informed decision about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. They’ve missed out on so much of their last year in high school, and getting vaccinated was something they wanted to do to return to some kind of “normal.” Plus, they are headed to college in the fall and have plans to travel internationally. Both of these activities will require them to be vaccinated. And not just the COVID vaccine, but they have to be up-to-date on all of their other immunizations. This is another benefit of making your child’s appointment now. If your child is 17 but will be headed to school or college in the fall, many schools and universities will require they are up-to-date on all their shots.
In today’s society, we have access to so much information; it can be overwhelming. What’s really important is making sure you get answers from credible sources, not just some random “experts” on YouTube. I Vaccinate provides information & tools based on real medical science and research to help Michigan parents protect their kids. You can visit their website to read the latest news, including up-date-information on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Part of one thing before leaving quarantine is getting our 15-year-old the COVID-19 Vaccine
Although we can make the ultimate decision on what’s best for our son, he was part of the decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine. I shared on our Instagram channel last year about how this pandemic has impacted his life. He’s an extrovert and thrives on being able to connect with his friends in person. This last year has been rough on him, and he’s not a fan of virtual school. And even though we did everything to protect him, he ended up getting COVID. Thankfully, the rest of the family was able to stay safe and did not get it.
He initially came to us at the beginning of the year and asked if he could get vaccinated. He knew getting vaccinated before leaving quarantine would give him an extra layer of protection and eased our worries about him being around other people.
Do your research on getting your children vaccinated
I encourage every parent to do their research. Vaccinating your children needs to be a well-informed decision. The CDC gives a recommended immunization schedule. Following this schedule lowers the risk of your child developing diseases during the time the shots are delayed. This CDC-recommended schedule is the only schedule that has been carefully tested, studied, and reviewed by medical experts before being recommended for children. Every major medical organization also approves it in the country, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Get your children involved in the process
If your children are old enough to understand the importance of getting vaccinated, I encourage you to involve them in the process. We were surprised that our son was paying attention to the latest vaccine developments and came to us first about getting the shot before we said something to him. As Zayd’n sat in the chair to get his shot, he said, “America, I am doing you a favor.”
So let’s do each other a favor by calling and getting those wellness visits scheduled and making sure your children are up-to-date on their shots. We’re ready to travel internationally again, attend in-person school in the fall, and hoping to be able to spend more time with the people we love. So our one thing we’re doing before leaving quarantine is taking care of our health by making those appointments and getting caught up on immunizations.