Truth sandwich on the topic of childhood vaccination

Fact: Vaccinations are especially important for babies and toddlers.

Myth: “Infants and toddlers are being vaccinated too early.”

Many vaccinations are recommended for babies and toddlers at an early age, the first within a few weeks of birth. This is reasonable, as the recommended age for vaccination is based on the risk of the child to be protected. Some infections can have a markedly more severe course of disease in babies and toddlers than in older children. This is because, for example, infants' airways are still very narrow, or their still-developing immune systems cannot effectively control certain pathogens. Vaccinations at the recommended times protect babies and toddlers from infections and potentially serious consequences.

Parents are often extremely cautious about medications and vaccines concerning their children. This is understandable. The bodies of toddlers, and especially of babies, are just beginning to develop. Therefore, some parents have concerns about having their children vaccinated at too young an age. However, early vaccinations are very important precisely because toddlers and infants are particularly vulnerable. For example, the Pneumococcal vaccine, which is recommended after the age of 2 months, provides reliable protection against illness due to invasive Pneumococci. This is a particularly serious consequence of the infection, which can cause, amongst other things, inflammation of the lining membranes of the brain. Children, especially in the first 2 years of life, have an increased risk of invasive Pneumococcal disease.

In fact: Vaccinating infants and toddlers is important for their health. Vaccinations protect infants and toddlers at a particularly vulnerable age. The recommended vaccines must be administered as early as possible to obtain this protection.

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