By now, you and Baby are probably quite experienced with vaccines. This can either mean that you’re a well-oiled machine about it by now, or that it’s getting harder as they start to recognize the doctor’s office as the place with all of the needles. Either way though, the 1-year immunizations are the beginning of the end of their vaccine-filled career. After this visit, assuming Baby is already up to date on all of the rest of their vaccines, they will only have two more vaccines to get in the next year, and after that, aside from possible flu vaccines, they shouldn’t need more until their 4-year appointment.
What shots to expect
The three main shots Baby will be getting on this visit are the first MMR vaccine, which vaccinates against measles, mumps and rubella, the varicella vaccine, which vaccinates against chickenpox, and the first of two doses of a Hepatitis A vaccine. The MMR and varicella vaccines can be given as a combined vaccine, though the MMR-V does have an increased, though still slight, risk of passing side-effects like a low-grade fever or swelling.
If your baby was born in the months of October through March, and the birthing parent was not immunized against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in pregnancy, your baby’s pediatrician may recommend one dose of the RSV vaccine before Baby is 6 months old. Depending on the season, your baby’s pediatrician may also recommend that your baby get vaccinated against the flu if they are over 6 months of age.
Other vaccinations that your baby’s pediatrician may recommend based on previous shots may be the 3rd or 4th dose of Haemophilus influenzae type B* (Hib) vaccine, 2nd dose of the Influenza vaccine (IIV) or the 4th dose of the Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13) vaccine.
This is also a good time to get Baby caught up on any vaccines you may have missed, and depending on the season, it might be a good time for Baby to get their flu shot.
Reasons to delay or skip vaccines
Most links between recommended vaccinations and health concerns have been proved not to exist. This especially includes autism, as there is no correlation between any vaccination and autism. In fact, a 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows autism is not even more prevalent in vaccinated children who may be genetically predisposed to autism than in unvaccinated children with the same predisposition. Still, there are a few medical concerns which might be good reasons to delay or omit vaccinations. For example, if a child has already had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine that is generally administered more than once to make sure they have full immunity, their doctor will probably suggest that they omit future doses. Children who are allergic to any of the ingredients of the vaccines may also be advised not to get them.
Other people who may not be well-suited for vaccination, or who may be advised to delay, are children who have a fever or are otherwise sick on the scheduled date of their checkup, children who have recently received blood transfusions or have ever had a low platelet count, or children with cancer or any kind of disease affecting the immune system.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health by Labcorp Clinical Team
A note on vaccines
Ovia Health by Labcorp is committed to providing evidence-based guidance and supporting families with trusted health information. Recent shifts and changes to vaccination recommendations and schedules for pregnant women, children, and infants have raised questions about the safety and efficacy.
We continue to follow the guidance of leading medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians about vaccination safety and continued use. Your healthcare provider is best positioned to advise you on vaccination safety for pregnant women, infants, children, and the broader public.
