Prepare your child for school with booster vaccination
New uniforms, bags, raincoats and books — children and parents are all set for the new school year. But do your preparations include safeguarding your child’s health and immunity as they venture out, exposed to seasonal infections? If not, you should take the necessary steps to protect your kids against infections and vaccinepreventable diseases.
A school entry booster vaccine given to children aged four to six years contains full doses of antigens necessary to boost their immunity. It ensures a child develops antibodies for continued protection against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), and polio. It takes about 14 to 21 days for antibodies to develop. Hence, with school re-opening, the time to get your kids vaccinated is now.
“Booster shots provide protection from illnesses and infections, and should be an important part of the vaccine schedule. It is recommended that children receive primary vaccination doses before being exposed to the outdoors and is followed up with timely booster doses between 1.5 and four to six years to maintain antibodies that wane with age. At four to six years, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends a full dose of DTP-based combination vaccine in addition to polio,” says Dr Ashok Rai, senior consultant paediatrician and developmental neurologist.
Going to school increases your child’s exposure to other kids across age groups, which can lead to the transmission of communicable diseases. This can be easily prevented with appropriate vaccines. With booster vaccines, you protect
not just the kids, but also the elderly and high-risk groups in your family by restricting their chances of getting infected.
It’s important to ensure your child’s vaccine schedule is up-to-date as recommended by health authorities, and that you provide timely ageappropriate vaccinations, including the complete school entry booster vaccination.
Disclaimer: This article is issued in public interest to create general awareness around immunisation and does not constitute any medical advice or recommendation or promotion of Sanofi products. Please consult your doctor for details regarding immunization. Opinions expressed herein are independent views of doctor. MAT-IN-2201651-1.0-6/2022