Baby's first vaccination
From the eighth week of life it is possible and sensible to have a baby vaccinated for the first time. Many new parents are wondering which vaccinations are necessary and what needs to be considered.
What vaccinations are required?
Many parents feel that they shouldn't take the baby with them so early vaccinations want to burden, which makes sense. Some infections (pneumococci, rotavirus and whooping cough) can be life-threatening, especially in small children. The pediatrician will provide a vaccination plan based on the STIKO recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute, which you should follow.
Important vaccinations in the first weeks and months of life are:
- The sixfold vaccination against tetanus (lockjaw), Diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, hemophilus influenza B, hepatitis B
- Another vaccination is against pneumococci (bacterial infection), which can cause pneumonia, meningitis or blood poisoning (sepsis), among other things
These vaccinations must be given three times four weeks apart and then again six months after the third vaccination. The second vaccination already offers some protection.
Everyone should have a vaccination against tetanus, regardless of age or gender. …
- The third important vaccine is an oral vaccine against rotaviruses (Gastrointestinal-Infection), which can cause dehydration in the infant due to the often massive vomiting and Diarrhea, which may require hospital treatment. This is a vaccination that is taken two or three times (depending on the vaccine) at intervals of four weeks.
These vaccinations should be given by week 16. respectively 22. week of life to be completed. Despite vaccination, the baby may develop mild symptoms of rotavirus infection, but the course will be much milder.
What should be considered after vaccination?
Babies usually tolerate vaccinations well. However, you should get clarification from your trusted pediatrician, because vaccinations are a daily routine in pediatric surgeries.
Since the combination vaccinations are given in one thigh of the baby at the same time, reddening of the thighs around the injection site may appear. The area may be a little hard if the baby's muscles are tensed at the moment of the puncture. This double vaccination makes sense, however, since pain only occurs once.
The baby may be a little more restless or fussy than usual after the vaccination, or it may even be light Fever, or elevated temperature. This is normal and nothing to worry about. On the contrary, it means that the child's immune system deals with the pathogen.
In the case of the rotavirus vaccination, particularly good hygiene must be observed when changing diapers for up to a week afterwards, because rotavirus particles can be excreted in the stool for about seven days and you can become an adult infect.
The pediatrician will prescribe age-appropriate fever suppositories just in case the child has a body temperature of more than 38°C. Below that, you shouldn't necessarily do anything about the increased temperature, because that means that the immune system is active and the increased temperature means faster processes.
If the baby is not feeling well and you have the feeling that something is wrong, please do not hesitate to visit the pediatrician and ask for advice. Especially people who are becoming parents for the first time are understandably unsure what is normal and what is worrying. Of course you don't want to do anything wrong.
