12 Months

Preparing for vaccines

You are the most important advocate for the health and well-being of your child. As parents, we want to protect our children from harm. Looking your child in the eyes and thinking or saying, “this is going to hurt but it will keep you healthy” is difficult in the moment. The bigger picture is that vaccines do protect our children from diseases that can be severe and life altering. Making informed decisions and supporting your child with that in mind will make the experience much easier. Indeed, a shot does hurt, but thankfully this is limited while its health benefits are long lasting.

To prepare yourself

• Know which vaccines your child is scheduled to receive.
• Read each Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) to gain an overview of the vaccine and the disease(s) that it prevents.
• For additional information, please read the corresponding Expanded Vaccine Information section.
• Prepare a list of outstanding questions that you may have in anticipation of your visit.
• Please schedule a “vaccine hesitant” appointment (prior to your child’s visit) if you have an extensive list of questions or concerns that cannot be addressed within a 5-10 minute period.
• If you are a new patient, please ensure that we have documentation of your child’s past immunizations.

To prepare your toddler

• Bring along a favorite comfort item such as a toy, blanket or book.
• Children are truth meters. They measure the accuracy and dependability of what we say and do. If we say one thing and the opposite is true, a child gets confused and frustrated. Recurrent mistruths or misleading statements only magnify a child’s fears rather than reducing or eliminating them. Be forthright. Explain to your child that the shot will hurt a bit, but it will be over quickly and it will help keep them healthy. Reinforce that it is okay to cry if it hurts.
• Reassure your toddler with a gentle voice, good eye contact, smiles and hugs leading up to and immediately after the shots. You can try to distract your child by telling a good story or reading a favorite book.
• We do not recommend routinely giving a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen prior to the shots. One study suggested this practice may decrease the effectiveness of the immune response. Most importantly, we do not want to give unnecessary medication. We generally reserve it for those children who develop fever or pain that adversely affects their mood or sleep.

After the vaccines

Your child may be more tired and less interested in food for a couple of days after the vaccines. Be patient and understanding while providing extra hugs and kisses during this time. The area around the injection site may also be sore. It may appear red and swollen. A low grade fever is also not uncommon. If your child is uncomfortable from pain or fever, please give a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen (unless your provider instructed you otherwise). Continue to administer it (as needed) according to the dosing schedule. You can also place a cool wet cloth on the injection site. Encourage your child to drink plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration.

To review other potential side effects or reactions, please reference the Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) for each of the vaccines your child received. As always, please call us if you have any outstanding concerns, questions or problems.