Babies are born with some natural protection from certain diseases. But they still need vaccines. One of the benefits of breastfeeding is to protect the baby until they receive their vaccines.
Vaccines (shots) help the body fight certain diseases. They make the body think there is a real infection. Your child's body fights off the "infection." The body "remembers" the infection. This helps your child fight it off quickly if it enters the body again.
Some parents may shy away from giving their children vaccines (shots). They worry their children could get the illness the vaccine is supposed to fight. But this is very unlikely.
Some vaccines may cause mild reactions. Children may feel sore where they received the shot. But serious reactions are rare. The risks of vaccines are small compared to the health risks of the diseases they help prevent.
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