Overview
Vaccines are recommended from birth up through adulthood. When a vaccine is introduced into your system, you create antibodies against the disease. If your body is ever exposed to that organism in the future, your body recognizes it and can fight it off. There are many different types of vaccines and additional ingredients added during processing or to improve the shelf life or safety of the vaccine. As more and more vaccines are recommended for children, there has been growing concern over the safety of the vaccines individually and the recommendations for the number and timing of vaccines. Deciding whether or not to vaccinate your child is complicated and involves weighing the risks and benefits. This episode is an overview of the recommendations for vaccines from birth to age 2, a look at vaccination schedules, and some of the general concerns about vaccines.