AAP Shares Childhood Vaccine Guidance

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The American Academy of Pediatrics is sharing new guidance this month aimed at helping parents and caregivers understand how routine childhood vaccinations fit into a child’s early development.

The organization says infancy and early childhood represent a key period for building immunity, as the body’s defenses are still maturing and the risk for complications from infectious disease is higher. 

The recommended immunization schedule is designed to provide protection during this window, before children are regularly exposed to group settings such as daycare and school.

Vaccines for illnesses including whooping cough, pneumococcal disease, and influenza are part of that schedule. 

According to the AAP, these immunizations are intended to reduce the likelihood of severe health effects and limit the spread of disease within households and communities.

The guidance also addresses common questions from families and encourages conversations with pediatricians to determine what is appropriate based on a child’s individual health history and needs.

The AAP says its goal is to provide parents with clear, practical information as they make healthcare decisions during the earliest years of a child’s life.