Catching up with needed vaccinations

Q: I’ve been afraid to take my 6-year-old to the doctor for the past year. Recently, the office started pressuring me to bring her in for vaccinations (not COVID-19). Can’t I put it off?

— Jenny

P., Mobile, Alabama

A: Even before the pandemic, Americans were under-vaccinating their infants and children. In 2018, only 72.8 percent of 19- to 35-month-olds had received all of the seven recommended vaccines, according to a new study in Health Equity. We’re aiming for over 90 percent.

Vaccinations have transformed childhood, spared parents enormous grief and protected millions of adults from disease.

■ A German measles epidemic in 1964 sickened 12.5 million Americans; killed 2,000 babies; and caused 11,000 miscarriages. The vaccine came into use in 1969; there’ve been 15 cases in the past nine years.

■ In 1952, nearly 60,000 children contracted polio; thousands were paralyzed, and more than 3,000 died. The first polio vaccine was available in 1955; the country has been polio-free since 1979.

And as for the safety of the doctor’s office or clinic, banish any worries about going there by asking them the following four questions. Yes is the answer you want for each one.

■ Are staff and visitors required to wear masks?

■ Do they enforce social distancing in the waiting rooms?

■ Do they limit the number of people who can be in the office or clinic at the same time?

Then you can make the appointment and protect your child and your community.

Q: I don’t like eating a lot of heavy food at lunchtime; it makes working in the afternoon more difficult. Having a nice, big dinner is so relaxing. Why do you keep advising against it? — Bob H., Pine Plains, New York

A: Eating earlier takes advantage of your body clock’s built-in timing for burning fat (during daylight), managing inflammation (ditto), processing carbs and keeping blood sugar levels under control (ditto). It also allows your body to repair your cells, and you don’t want to block that with late-in-theday overeating.

Our advice: Get your branched-chain amino acids early and from beans, canned tuna, salmon, turkey breast and 1 percent milk. Time your meals so you’re eating unprocessed carbs and healthy fats early in the day, too, when your body is most sensitive to insulin. Then it can control your blood sugar and appetite most effectively.