Family Birth Center
Childhood Immunizations
You may think that childhood illnesses, such as measles,
mumps and whooping cough, are not serious threats to your
children. Or that you don't need to worry about immunizing
your children until they start school. Think again! Every
year in Michigan, children are permanently disabled or even
die because of diseases that can be prevented with immunizations.
Childhood diseases are dangerous and have serious results.
- Measles cause a rash and high fever. The disease can
also cause pneumonia, deafness, brain damage or death.
- Rubella, or German Measles, is a mild illness for children.
But a pregnant woman who gets it may lose her baby or give
birth to a child who is deaf or has developmental disabilities.
- Polio starts with fever and muscle pain. Many people who
get it will be permanently paralyzed (unable to move their
arms or legs). There is no cure for polio.
- Diphtheria kills one of every ten people who get it. The
disease makes it hard or impossible to swallow or breathe.
- Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, causes dangerous coughing
spells that make breathing very difficult. It also can cause
pneumonia, convulsions or swelling of the brain (encephalitis).
- Tetanus germs get into the body through a scratch, cut
or deep wound. Inside the body, these germs grow and create
a poison that attacks the nervous systems and causes painful
muscle spasms. Tetanus kills four of ten people who get
it.
- HIB causes meningitis brain inflammation) resulting in
brain damage and sometimes death. HIB also can cause pneumonia
and infections of the blood, joints, throat or heart.
- Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can lead to liver
cancer, cirrhosis and death.
Protect Your Children
The good news is that immunizations prevent these dangerous
diseases. That's right. You can protect your children with
immunizations. All it takes is four visits to your doctor
or health department before your child is two, and another
visit before your child starts school. You can get free or
low-cost immunizations through the local health department.
Contact your doctor for information and guidance. In addition,
Battle Creek Health System offers the Hepatitis B vaccine
to every newborn before the baby leaves the hospital.
Know When to Immunize
Your doctor or nurse will be happy to provide you with information
that tells you the best time to take your child for their
immunizations.
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