• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
84142931 Baby Shots Scaled

Should I Get the Same Shots as My Kids?

Nov 8, 2020 |
By Patricia Granier, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

A parent's job is to protect one’s children from preventable disease and harm. If there was a magic potion that would protect your child from deadly diseases, wouldn't you want to give that potion to your child? Immunizations are that magic potion. They can prevent infections that cause high fever, coughing, choking, breathing problems, brain injury and death, and have saved more children's lives than any other medical advance to date.

There are also vaccines that parents and caregivers can get that can prevent the spread of disease in young children.

Parents of newborns and caregivers of newborns should be vaccinated against pertussis. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is an infectious disease that begins like the common cold. Individuals with pertussis usually have a runny nose and cough. As time passes, the cough gets worse and can last longer than six weeks.

Pertussis is a major health concern and the number of cases nationwide has been climbing. Often parents do not realize their infant has pertussis until the baby is extremely ill. In addition, parents do not realize that they may carry the disease and unknowingly pass it on to their infant. Most infants who contract pertussis get it from a family member.

The infected person first experiences a cough that lasts for weeks. Then the symptoms worsen until there are coughing fits that sound like a high-pitched "whoop.” More than half the babies under one year of age who get pertussis require hospitalization. Infants younger than six months of age are at most risk of dying from pertussis. Vaccinating parents and caregivers puts a safety net or cocoon around infants until they have received a pertussis series of vaccines. This is known as cocooning.

Another important vaccine recommended for parents, siblings and caregivers of newborns is the flu vaccine. The current recommendation is that all children and adults older than six months of age receive the flu vaccine. The rates of influenza infection are highest among children.

The symptoms of the flu are sudden onset of fever, cough, sore throat, chills, muscle aches and fatigue. Symptoms can last a week or more and can lead to secondary bacterial infection and respiratory distress. Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine preventable deaths in children, but according to a recent survey more than 75% of families are not fully vaccinated.

For further information on vaccines, contact your pediatrician or visit the Centers for Disease Control at CDC.gov or the American Academy of Pediatrics at AAP.org.

Tags
immunizations
pediatrics

You may also be interested in:

178590721 Preschool Children Drawing
Parenting
Jul 11, 2014

How To Give Your 3-Year-Old a Head Start on School

It's almost your child's first day of preschool -- have you prepared them well? Dr. Patricia Granier shares tips every parent will want to know.
By Patricia Granier, MD
480502081 Father Holding Baby
Jun 13, 2014

We’re Pregnant! Advice for First-Time Fathers

With Father’s Day around the corner, there are many first-time fathers preparing for this life-changing event.
By Veronica Gillispie, MD
490696481 Mother With Children Hugging And Kissing
Food & Fitness
May 10, 2014

First vs. Second Baby - What’s Different?

There are differences between being an expectant parent of your first child versus your second child.
By Stacy Swanson

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide