Vaccines Provide Many Health Benefits

Vaccinating your baby

• Multiple injections

  Your baby's immune system is amazing. Scientists have estimated that babies can handle up to 10,000 vaccines at one time. Since your baby is always making more protective antibodies, vaccines never use up or overwhelm their immune system.

  Science has determined that following the routine schedule gives your baby the best and earliest protection from diseases that can seriously harm or kill them. Vaccines given at the same time work just as well together with no increase in side effects.

  When your baby gets their routine vaccines on time, you will have fewer trips to the doctor and your baby will have fewer periods of discomfort.

• Pain management for your baby

  Pain in vaccination can be distressing for both babies and parents, but this shouldn't stop you from getting the vaccines. There are simple tools to help reduce your baby's perception of pain.

  What you can do

  • Breastfeed your baby before, during and after the vaccination
  • Use skin to skin contact
  • Hold your baby upright and close as this will help them feel secure and stay still
  • Stay calm and positive using your normal speaking voice
  • Distract your baby using their favourite toy, blanket or song
  • Apply a topical anesthetic - no prescription is needed and you can apply it at home or at the clinic
  • If you're not breastfeeding, you can use sugar water
• Reporting your baby's vaccinations

  All vaccines need to be reported to Public Health. Your baby's health care provider is not required to do this for you. Use your personal immunization record (yellow card) to keep track of your baby's vaccinations.

  For more information, read more in A Parent's Guide to Vaccination.

Public Health

Child Vaccinations

• Report Online
• Request Vaccination Records
• School Vaccinations
• Vaccines are Safe