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Vaccines

Margaret Lubega, MD -  - Pediatrician

First Pediatric Care Center

Margaret Lubega, MD

Pediatrician located in Gastonia, NC

As part of your child’s preventive healthcare plan, routine vaccinations help protect them from serious, contagious diseases. At First Pediatric Care Center in Gastonia, North Carolina, Dr. Margaret Lubega offers vaccinations on an age-appropriate schedule. By vaccinating your child following the recommended guidelines, you can ensure your child stays healthy and well-protected from conditions, like polio and whooping cough. To learn more about the recommended vaccination schedule for your child, schedule a consultation online or by phone.

Vaccines

Why should my child be vaccinated?

Vaccinations introduce your child’s immune system to different types of infection. A vaccine prepares the body to fight it off the real infection should your child come into contact with it down the road.

If you have concerns about the side effects of vaccinations, it’s important that you discuss them directly with Dr. Lubega. There are some mild reactions vaccines can cause, such as soreness at the injection site, but overall, vaccines are safe and effective at preventing more severe and contagious diseases.

What vaccinations does my child need?

Dr. Lubega can provide you with a specific time frame for your child’s vaccinations based on their age and medical history. Recommended vaccines for children include:

  • Hib
  • Polio
  • Pneumococcal
  • Meningococcal
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Varicella for chickenpox
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV)
  • Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)

Each vaccine contains a weakened or dead germ of the disease that allows the body to make necessary antibodies to fight off infections at a later time, building your child’s immunity. It’s not possible to get a disease from vaccines made with dead viruses or bacteria.

In cases where the vaccine uses a weakened virus, such as with the chicken pox and measles vaccines, it is possible for children to develop a mild form of the condition. Any illness that results from a weakened virus vaccine is much less severe than if your child wasn’t vaccinated and contracted the disease.

How long do the effects of vaccines last?

Some vaccines, including measles and hepatitis B, can provide lifelong protection against disease. Others, including pertussis and tetanus, require additional shots based on your child’s age and medical history.

Dr. Lubega gives flu vaccines annually because of the strains of flu viruses that circulate among the population change constantly. A new vaccine is available each year to keep up with the current strain of flu.

To ensure your child is up-to-date on all recommended vaccines, you should bring any immunization records you have for your child to your first appointment. This helps Dr. Lubega determine which vaccinations your child needs to stay healthy.

If you have an infant, Dr. Lubega can provide you with a timeline of vaccinations that your child needs as they grow.

To keep your child current with vaccinations, schedule an appointment online or by calling the office directly.

For more information, read more at the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC