We’ve heard a lot about vaccines in the past four years, thank to the pandemic.

But beyond Covid-19, doctors say vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against preventable diseases.

Dr. Dylan Wyatt, an emergency medicine physician at Asprius-St. Luke’s, makes his case.

Why are vaccines Important? 

Dr. Dylan: Vaccines provide our bodies with protection against disease without having to get the disease itself. This is especially important in children, as diseases that once had awful consequences such as sterilization (mumps), paralysis (polio), and death (many of the diseases). We don’t want to risk the health and lives of our children by making them fight against these diseases when we could easily provide the immunity with minimal risk!

A great modern example is the Hemophilus influenza type B vaccine (HIB). It causes a very dangerous condition called epiglottitis, where a child’s airway can swell and suffocate them. Since the introduction of this vaccine, cases have dropped to basically zero in kids.

What are some the diseases we’ve eliminated thanks to vaccines?

Dr. Dylan: Only one disease has fully been eliminated (smallpox). We got close with several other diseases, but the resurgence of the anti-vaccine movement has also led to a resurgence in diseases such as measles, mumps, and pertussis in unvaccinated kids.

These cases are on the rise, and vaccinating offers the best and safest protection against these illnesses without subjecting children to dangerous illnesses.

When should kids be vaccinated? 

Dr. Dylan: The CDC has a vaccine table detailing when kids can and should receive their vaccines. As a father, I can tell you looking at the list of vaccines seems daunting but it’s easier to get them all at once rather than spacing them out for the kiddo’s comfort level.

I will say that if you have hesitations, talk to your pediatrician! Many are flexible about getting vaccines at a “slower schedule”: better for kids to get their shots slowly than not at all!

Will you remind us how vaccines work and why they’re safe? 

Our immune systems work like a ring of keys: when we have an infection, our body looks for the right key to open the lock that lets the immune system fight it off. Our body normally makes these “keys” in response to being infected with a pathogen. But that also means we suffer the effects of that infection – and as we discussed before this can be dangerous. Vaccines allow us to create these “keys” without needing to be infected, foregoing potentially dangerous effects while still keeping us safe.

Bonus question- what if cost is a concern?

Minnesota’s Minnesota Vaccines for Children (MnVFC) offers free to low cost vaccines to eligible children 18 years and under. The MN health department website has great info on this program, as well as most pediatrician’s offices.