A Shot For Love: Child Immunization for Protection

Women have but one thing on their minds as soon as they don the cape of motherhood: to protect their children and their families at all costs.

From eating healthy, giving them the cleanest environments, and allowing them only supervised interactions with other children, mothers tend to be hypervigilant of their children’s health. Have you ever seen a mother at a playground? They hover, they watch, but they never encroach. They protect from afar, but they protect fiercely.

Immunization - one of the ways mothers offer their children protection - is somewhat the same when you think about it. You get vaccinated once, even before a disease affects you. It helps protect you even when you’re far away from the possibility of contracting vaccine-preventable childhood diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella, among others.

Vaccines have been shown to help save lives. According to the World Health Organization, vaccines help reduce the risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. Over the years, immunization has paved the way for people of all ages to develop more robust immune systems.

With the help of vaccines, the infection and mortality of historically life-threatening diseases such as polio and smallpox have lowered dramatically. In turn, the world has become closer to realizing a society without fatal childhood diseases. As a result, more children have enjoyed healthy and happy childhoods by getting immunized.

The importance of immunization to a healthy society

Amid the ongoing pandemic, millions of lives have been spared from the highly infectious COVID-19 virus with the help of immunization. Because of COVID-19 vaccines, the world is slowly but surely going back to normal. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but action needs to be done first. Soon, children will enjoy the outdoors without fear of catching COVID-19 or any of the other vaccine-preventable diseases.

For the world to truly become free from life-threatening diseases, there needs to be a focus on the importance of immunization. The Philippines can achieve herd immunity from various diseases when more people get vaccinated, including our children.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, children make up approximately a third of the Philippine population, and it’s vital that they receive their vaccines on time. Adhering to an on-time vaccination schedule helps fortify their immune system. It allows them to enjoy life without fear of acquiring life-threatening diseases that can be avoided in the first place. As a parent, it is a great act of love to look out for one’s child in this way.

People fear what they don’t understand, but the fact remains that vaccines work. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines save up to 3 million lives each year from VPDs worldwide. That’s why it is important for children to get vaccinated from their infancy stage to help them build a stronger immune system. More patients can breathe easy knowing their children are safe and healthy.

Empowering through education

To empower more Filipino children with life-saving vaccines, MSD in the Philippines has been actively pushing its battlecry to mothers to take charge of their children’s health and Call The Shots. Call the Shots PH is an awareness campaign that aims to protect expectant parents and their children from vaccine-preventable diseases and empower them to make the right decisions for their children’s health.

Since 2020, this campaign has equipped more Filipino families with fact-based information to educate the public about the importance of immunization. Call The Shots has helped dispel confusion and misconceptions about vaccines. The campaign also hosts free webinars featuring doctors and public health authorities so that parents can get fact-based advice straight from the experts. In turn, more parents have been encouraged to have their children vaccinated.

As parents, you want to give your children the best protection against life-threatening diseases such as polio, smallpox, and COVID-19. Driving your children to lead active lifestyles and have a balanced diet can do wonders. You can also take care of your children better by making the crucial decision of getting them vaccinated.

To ensure your children get all the right vaccines on time, it’s important you maintain a close relationship with your pediatrician. Your doctor can provide you with the best advice regarding vaccines and other health-related concerns so you can give your children the best care possible.

By keeping a close relationship with your pediatrician and adhering to an on-time vaccination schedule, you and your children can confidently face the future. So call your pediatrician today and ask about the 2022 Childhood Immunization Schedule to help protect your kids from vaccine-preventable diseases! For more information, you may visit https://www.facebook.com/CallTheShotsPH/.