Immunizations

Now that you are home with your baby, you are probably making many phone calls to grandparents, neighbors, in-laws and more. Be sure to include calling the doctor to schedule the baby's first appointment.

When babies are born, they cannot easily fight off disease. Your baby needs protection against serious and life threatening diseases. By scheduling a visit to your baby's healthcare provider, he or she can recommend when immunizations (baby shots) are to start. These baby shots help your baby's body build antibodies to protect against specific diseases. Your baby receives each shot at a specific age, and there may be times when your baby gets more than one shot at a time. This is safe and done often. At your baby's first office or clinic visit, the healthcare provider can give you a recommended immunization schedule.

• DPT: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus
• HIB: hemophilus influenza type B
• OPV or IPV: oral polio vaccine or injectable polio vaccine
• MMR: measles, mumps, rubella
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Hep B: hepatitis B