Vaccine Topics

HPV: A Silent Threat, A Powerful Vaccine

As parents, we work hard to protect our children from harm. One way to achieve this is by ensuring they receive essential vaccinations. Among these is the HPV vaccine, a powerful tool that helps protect against certain cancers. Protecting Your Child’s Future Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common virus that can be spread through […]

Beyfortus: The RSV Antibody Treatment Every Infant Should Receive

RSV season is upon us, and although many new parents may not be familiar with it, chances are their child has experienced it. Statistics show that 2 out of 3 infants will contract RSV by their first birthday. To most people, RSV looks like the common cold. However, in very young babies and young children […]

Flu Season is Coming. Here’s How to Protect Your Children from the 2024-2025 Flu

The 2024-2025 flu season is rapidly approaching, and as parents, it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest flu vaccine updates, especially regarding our kids’ health. Children historically have the highest incidences of contracting the flu and can have severe complications from a flu infection. As parents, it’s natural to be concerned about our children’s […]

38 Percent of Kids Have Received the Only Vaccine that Can Prevent Cancer

If you could protect your child from getting cancer, we know you’d want to do whatever you could, right? Sadly, the majority of kids have not received the only vaccine proven to protect against several types of cancer. As pediatricians, we have to believe that a lack of education has caused parents to unknowingly prevent […]

RSV Vaccines and Keeping Your Family Healthy this Winter

It is RSV season in North Carolina, and at Rainbow Pediatrics, we are seeing a significant increase in children who are sick with it. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a virus that most children get at least once before their second birthday. In healthy kids, the symptoms are similar to a cold. But for […]

What Parents Should Know About the 2023-2024 Flu Vaccine for Kids

Should I get the flu vaccine? Yes, you should. For the 2019-2020 season, the CDC estimates that the flu vaccine prevented 7 million illnesses, 3.4 million medical visits, 100,000 hospitalizations, and 7,100 deaths. Does it work? Yes, it does. Does it prevent all possible strains of the flu? No, it doesn’t. But it does prevent […]

The Importance of Pediatric Wellness Exams

Pediatric wellness exams are essential to maintaining children’s health and well-being. These exams are typically conducted annually and are designed to assess a child’s growth, development, and overall health. One of the most important reasons to prioritize pediatric wellness exams is that they provide an opportunity for early detection and prevention of health problems. During […]

Why the Flu Vaccine Should be on Your To-Do List this Fall

It is anticipated that this year’s flu season will be worse than last year. The main reason is that last year we were social distancing and wearing masks, which protected against viruses. This year, with lifted COVID restrictions, we lack the protection that kept us relatively healthy. One of the best things you can do […]

The Importance of Vitamin K Shots for Newborns

When babies are first born, it’s essential to perform various tests and procedural exams to ensure they are healthy. Many of these tests are intuitive, such as weighing and measuring your baby, checking their vital signs, and counting their fingers and toes. But some newborn procedures might seem less intuitive–like giving your baby a vitamin […]

Why Getting the HPV Vaccine for Your Child Helps Prevent Cancer

With the COVID pandemic so prevalent in our minds, it can be easy to forget about other commonly transmitted illnesses. Despite mask-wearing and hand-washing, there are still viruses out there that parents should be concerned about. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of those very common viruses that spread easily and can infect 80 percent […]

What Parents Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Children

COVID-19 vaccine approval for children ages 5-11 has been much anticipated. And now that it is here, parents are scrambling to get their children vaccinated. But some have very valid questions that we felt important to address. As of last week, there was approximately 107,000 new child COVID-19-19 cases reported. This number is up from […]

What Parents Should Know About the 2021 Flu Vaccine

As you probably know by now, COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe illness and even death in children (and adults)…just like influenza (flu). And now that school is back in session and children are returning to some semblance of normalcy, it is critically important that parents and caregivers do everything […]

How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID Now That School is Back in Session (and While Waiting for Vaccine Approval)

School is back in session, which means kids, both vaccinated and not are in close quarters. As one would expect, and quite frankly feared, COVID-19 cases have risen nearly 240% since July. Thankfully, despite the high number of COVID cases, children continue to make up a very small percentage (1.6% to 4%) of hospitalized patients. […]

COVID Vaccinations for Kids: FAQs

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, one of the few silver linings was news that children were less likely than adults to develop life-threatening complications from the virus. Yes, kids and teens could develop serious complications, and yes, we’re still learning about many of the long-term effects the virus can have on people’s health. But, the […]

Why the 2020 Flu Vaccine is Necessary for Your Family This Year

Every year we share information about that year’s flu vaccine. As pediatric providers, we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of receiving the vaccine for influenza, and this year is no exception. This year, it is even more critical for families to act early in getting their family vaccinated. First and foremost, when you are exposed […]

Pediatric Immunization Rates Plummet and How This Can Impact Your Child

Many parents are avoiding the pediatrician’s office due to concerns about COVID-19. This means well-child appointments are being postponed, and necessary pediatric immunizations aren’t being administered on time. Public health experts warn that collateral damage from the current crisis epidemic could show up as outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and whooping cough. National […]

Whooping Cough Vaccine: Why it is Not Just for Kids

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercials. Mom and Dad bring home their beautiful new baby and Grandma comes to visit. She kisses and hugs her new grandbaby in loving endearment. In addition to the love she shares with her new grandbaby, she also shares a highly contagious respiratory infection. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is […]

What to Expect from the 2019/2020 Flu Vaccine

It is that time of the year again. Time to make the annual trek to the doctor’s office to help reduce the risk of getting the flu this season. Here are the top eleven answers to questions or concerns most parents have about the flu and the 2019/2020 flu vaccine. Have there been cases of […]

2019 Measles Outbreak: What Parents Should Know

Immunizations are a safe and effective way to prevent many diseases. Since vaccines were developed, the number of disease outbreaks in the US has plummeted. Pockets of outbreaks can occur when people who are healthy choose not to vaccinate. For a small percentage of our population, the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine is not […]

The Significance of Immunizations

Our health is our wealth. A familiar phrase, yet the significance of health cannot be truly appreciated until faced with a serious illness. Some illnesses cannot be prevented, but others can. If there is no greater wealth than our health, it is critical to understand the life-saving measures that are available to us, specifically immunizations. […]