For all children, vaccines are crucial in building good immunity against diseases. Generally, children should receive the necessary vaccinations according to their age, starting from birth, at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months, such as vaccines against hepatitis B, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, meningitis, rotavirus, measles, German measles, mumps, and encephalitis. In addition, influenza vaccines and vaccines against pneumococcal disease (IPD) are necessary for children as well.
Children and the Flu Vaccine
Immunity after vaccination does not last long and may decrease to a point where it does not fully prevent disease. Therefore, vaccinations help boost the immune system to keep children healthy and growing properly. From the age of 6 months onwards, in addition to the basic vaccinations, it is recommended to vaccinate against diseases that frequently occur in children, such as the flu and pneumococcal disease, which help reduce the risk of respiratory diseases and the severity of the diseases, especially in children with chronic diseases such as respiratory illnesses, heart disease, blood disorders, and immunodeficiencies.
If young children are not vaccinated, it may increase the chances of getting infections more easily compared to vaccinated children, and if infected with the flu virus, they often have high fever and sometimes can experience seizures. Therefore, to provide extra protection against diseases for children, it is advisable to take them for necessary vaccinations as scheduled with a pediatrician. The side effects of the flu vaccine are very minimal, most commonly just a low-grade fever, pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site, which can resolve on its own within 2 – 3 days. Therefore, it is recommended to choose vaccination with a pediatrician to listen to advice before vaccination as well as practices for taking care of children when returning home.
Vaccinating Children During COVID-19
Children should be vaccinated on schedule, focusing on vaccines that prevent infection after being exposed to disease, especially rabies vaccines and tetanus vaccines. Some vaccines can be postponed for about 1 – 2 weeks, such as basic childhood vaccines in the first two years, because these diseases are common and severe. Delaying or incomplete vaccination has negative and dangerous consequences. Vaccines that can be postponed for up to 1 month are generally booster shots, usually administered in children from the age of 2 onwards, but should not be delayed too long and can continue without restarting.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, Bangkok Hospital has implemented more stringent safety measures, including screening patients at every service counter by reviewing travel history, exposure to risk groups, temperature checks, and screening for respiratory symptoms, as well as segregating service areas and clearly zoning for different patient groups, for example, separating service zones for suspected COVID-19 patients, dedicated buildings, and caregivers, clearly distinguishing between ARI Clinic (patients with respiratory symptoms) and Non-ARI Clinic (patients without respiratory symptoms), separate from the general patient service areas.
Pediatric Center and Measures for Service Support
- Zoning Dividing service zones between vaccination clinic and sick children clinic.
- OPD Short Period Service Increasing speed of service for appointments made in advance to be served quickly.
- Bangkok Hospital Delivery Home delivery service for medications, in case patients do not wish to wait at the hospital, it’s possible to have medications delivered home.
- Always Cleaning Regular cleaning of examination rooms and public areas, including temporarily removing children’s toys to reduce the chance of touching them.
- Safety Medical team and nurses wear Surgical Masks and Face Shields during every service.
