Presbyterian | Your Story | Centennial Care | Fall 2021

www.phs.org/centennialcare 5 Why your child’s shots matter so much Have you ever wondered why your kids need all those shots? Shots help keep kids safe from more than a dozen diseases. For the most part, you don’t hear about these illnesses a lot today. We can thank shots for that! Here are some diseases that shots help prevent: Chickenpox. It causes a bad rash with many blisters. Diphtheria. This can make it hard to breathe or swallow. It can cause heart failure or other serious problems too. The flu. This may seem like a minor illness. But it causes some kids to get very sick. They may even have to go to a hospital. Hepatitis A and B. These are liver diseases. Hepatitis B is especially dangerous for babies. Hib disease. That’s short for Haemophilus influenzae type b. It can cause hearing loss, brain damage, or death. HPV. Human papillomavirus can lead to six types of cancer. That includes most cases of cervical cancer. Measles. This disease is so contagious you can get it just from being in the same room with someone who has it. Meningococcal disease. It can cause infections of the brain, spinal cord, and blood. Mumps. This causes puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw. Pertussis. It’s also known as whooping cough. It causes coughing so severe it can be hard to breathe. Pneumococcal disease. It causes pneumonia and many other infections. Polio. This virus used to paralyze many kids. Rotavirus. It can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration in babies. Rubella. This can be very harmful to pregnant women and their unborn babies. It can cause miscarriage or birth defects. Tetanus. This gets in the body through cuts. It can cause painful muscle stiffness and lockjaw. Worth a shot! From babies to teens, kids of all ages need shots. And they often need more than one dose to be protected. Help your child get the right shots on time by keeping up with their well-child visits. Ask about their vaccines at each checkup, or visit www.cdc.gov/ vaccines to find out what shots your child needs for their age. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Time to get your child’s well-child visits and shots! The kids are back in school, and fall sports are well underway. But students are doing more than passing classes and touchdowns. They are passing germs too. That makes this the perfect time to get your kids up-to-date on any missed well-child visits or shots. Children ages three to 17 need at least one visit each year with their provider. At this visit, you can talk to your child’s provider about any shots they need for their age and get any of your questions answered about your kid’s overall health and development. If your kids play sports, remember to bring their school sports physical form. Many people think that shots are just for small children, but teens need shots too. Talk to your teen’s provider about the recommended shots for their age and the HPV shot. Don’t forget the flu and COVID-19 shots too! Not sure if your kid is up-to- date on all their shots? No problem! Call their provider, and they will be happy to check for you. The New Mexico immunization office can also help you find out what shots your child needs. Call the Immunization Help Desk today at 1-833-882-6454 .