Part Of Your Good Health

Why are immunizations so important? Many dangerous childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, German measles or rubella, whooping cough, chickenpox, polio, and tetanus may cause permanent disability or death. It’s important to begin your child’s immunizations and complete all the necessary boosters to protect them from these diseases.

Your teenage children and you should also keep up-to-date with some immunizations to protect against diseases such as tetanus and the flu.

Your Children

Childhood immunizations are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in the US. While the US has near record lows of the number of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, the viruses and bacteria that cause the diseases still exist. Vaccines prevent disease in immunized individuals and help protect individuals who come in contact with unvaccinated individuals.

In January 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its “Recommended Immunization Schedules for Children and Adolescents – United States 2007.” This publication reflects the current recommendations for the use of vaccines licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It includes charts that summarized the recommended immunization schedules for children age 0 through six, children age seven through eighteen, and for children and adolescents who start the process late or more that one month behind schedule.

Here is a summary of the vaccination needs of children and teens.

Age		Vaccinations/Immunization Needs
Birth		Hepatitis B Vaccine
1—2 Months		Hepatitis B Vaccine
2 Months		Rotavirus First Dose Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Polio Pheumococcal Conjugate Rotavirus
4 Months		Hepatitis B Vaccine (depends on type of initial vaccine) Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Rotavirus Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Polio Pheumococcal Conjugate Rotavirus
6 Months		Rotavirus Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (depends on type of initial vaccine) Pheumococcal Conjugate Rotavirus
6—18 Months		Hepatitis B Vaccine Polio
12—15 Months		Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Pheumococcal Conjugate Measles, Mumps & Rubella Chickenpox
12—23 Months		Hepatitis A
15—18 Months		Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough
4—6 Years		Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough Polio Measles, Mumps & Rubella Chickenpox
11—12 Years		Diphtheria, Tetanus & Whooping Cough HPV (females only) Meningococcal Conjugate

For a copy of the actual publication, please refer to the American Academy of Pediatrics web site, www.aap.org, under the immunizations feature. As with all types of medical care for your family, you should discuss your child’s immunization schedule with your physician.

Adults

Most adults receive the majority of immunizations during childhood. However, vaccines are not just for children.

It is important for adults to keep up-to-date on tetanus and diphtheria immunizations with a booster shot every ten years. In addition, a flu immunization each fall or winter may help protect you from getting the flu and reduce your chance of getting complications, such as pneumonia, if you do get the flu. You may also want to get a pneumonia immunization. If you did not have measles, mumps or chickenpox during childhood or the vaccines to prevent them, you may consider getting these immunizations as well since these diseases in adults are often very serious and can cause permanent disability or death.

You should discuss any immunizations with your physician to see what vaccines are right for you.

Your Service Benefit Coverage Helps

Your Service Benefit Plan coverage provides benefits for preventive care for both adults and children. Benefits for preventive care are paid in full under both Basic and Standard Option when you use a Preferred provider.

Adult care includes benefits for one flu vaccine every flu season, a pneumonia vaccine, Herpes Zoster or shingles vaccine and a tetanus-diphtheria booster once every ten years. Care for children includes routine services recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children up to the age of 22. Please see the 2007 Service Benefit Plan brochure for a complete list of covered preventive care.

Written by Paula Spurway, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Originally published in July 2007. Resources include the 2007 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan brochure (RI 71-005), the American Academy of Pediatrics web site www.aap.org under the immunization topic, the Childhood Immunization Support Program (CISP) which is a partnership between the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Blue Health Connection under Immunizations for Prevention.