April 28
Recommended Pediatric Immunization Schedule
Pediatric immunizations, or vaccinations, are a very important aspect of raising healthy children. It’s amazing that in modern times, we can protect our children from harmful and often deadly diseases like hepatitis, smallpox, measles, mumps, pertussis, and more. These vaccines have been developed over many decades, are completely safe, and provide protection to children and entire communities.
Where Can I Get My Child’s Vaccinations?
LCH offers pediatric care in our West Grove office in the Jenners Village Professional Building. Our pediatric providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, vaccine schedule. That schedule is posted to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, immunization schedules webpage.
If you are concerned about our standard pediatric immunization schedule, our providers offer several resources to help you review vaccine safety and ingredients.
We understand that parents receive information from many different directions, and it’s difficult to know what is helpful or harmful. At LCH Pediatrics, your child’s health and safety are our top priority, and vaccines administered on the AAP’s recommended children’s immunization schedule will prevent the risk of infectious diseases. When you schedule your child’s well visit, please let us know that you’d like to review their vaccination chart during your appointment.
How Many Vaccines Will My Child Receive?
Your child will need several vaccines during the first 18 months of life. After that, the pediatric vaccination chart slows down a little bit to annual vaccinations. Many pediatric vaccines require several doses that are administered over a period of several months to a few years. We recommend an annual influenza immunization to protect your child from the prevalent flu strain each year.
Combination vaccines allow for multiple immunizations to be delivered in a single shot. We know that no one likes to get shots, so this delivery system helps cut down on the number of sticks your child will receive. Not all pediatric vaccines are available as combined, so there will be appointments that require more than one shot.
If you are new to our pediatric office and do not have your child’s immunization chart, we’ll work with you to determine which vaccines your child may have already had in the past. It may be possible to obtain your child’s vaccination chart from a previous provider.
Attend Regular Well Checks to Stay on Schedule with Pediatric Immunizations
Even if your child has completed the pediatric immunization chart through age 6, it’s important to continue scheduling annual well checks! When children stop coming in for regular visits, they can miss important vaccinations that fall later in the AAP vaccine schedule. We continue to administer booster shots and begin new vaccines as your child ages.
Annual well checks are also an opportunity for our providers to screen for health concerns, track your child’s growth, and review best practices for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When we see your children annually for well visits and physical exams, we are better informed when they do need to see us for a sick visit.
Your child’s health is as important to us as it is to you. Whether your child is right on track with the pediatric immunization schedule, or you are concerned they are behind on important vaccines, call us to schedule an appointment at 610-444-7550. Our providers are looking forward to helping you maintain your child’s health with an up to date pediatric vaccination chart.