Pediatrician: Infant immunizations a ‘lifesaving measure’
Published April 10, 2023
By Andrew Mundhenk, Henderson County Dept. of Public Health
Pediatrician Dr. Anne Smith knows firsthand the impact diseases have on young lives that could have been prevented through routine vaccination.
“I’ve seen lives changed by meningitis,” said Smith, a physician of nearly 24 years for Hendersonville Pediatrics. “A normal baby turned out not able to talk, not able to walk, after an episode of meningitis that is now preventable with routine childhood vaccination. I’ve seen a two-month-old in the ICU turn blue from whooping cough. I’ve seen a 16-year-old who just got a new kidney die of chickenpox. Those are heartbreaking.”
“I truly believe that vaccination is the most lifesaving measure we do at my office,” she added.
April 24-30 marks National Infant Immunization Week – highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases. On-time vaccination is critical for protecting against potentially life-threatening diseases. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough, measles and more.
Hendersonville Pediatrics joins many regional providers as part of the Henderson County Immunization Coalition – committed to improving county immunization rates by eliminating barriers, sharing resources and collaborating to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Pediatricians like Dr. Smith closely follow a vaccine schedule recommended by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics for healthy babies to protect against those 14 diseases during the first two years of a child’s life.
“It’s my opinion that vaccines have saved more lives than any medical measure we’ve done by preventing diseases,” Smith said. “We don’t see the lifesaving because children don’t get sick.”
Disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic led to a drop in routine childhood vaccinations, according to the CDC. But Smith is optimistic people are getting comfortable again with routine vaccinations. And for parents who may have missed getting their children vaccinated initially, it’s not too late to catch up.
“It’s never too late to get your child vaccinated,” Smith said. “We have very well worked out catchup schedules recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics – very safe and effective catchup schedules.”
Smith recommends all the vaccines on the schedule. These immunizations protect against whooping cough (pertussis), varicella (chickenpox), rotavirus, meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella and more.
“I think what’s important to say about these diseases is, other than Polio, (they’re) still here,” said Smith. “We’ve not killed the disease; we’ve improved the immunity and our ability to fight these diseases with vaccines. The more children to get vaccinated the less we will see life-threatening diseases.”
The Henderson County Department of Public Health encourages parents to make sure their children stay up to date on vaccines by ensuring they haven’t missed any check-ups. Well-child visits are essential. If you have questions about vaccines, talk to your child’s doctor.
Andrew Mundhenk is the Communications Manager for the Henderson County Department of Public Health.
