Travelling and the Importance of Vaccines

When we decided to travel overseas with our newborn, we got a lot of weird looks. However, our immediate family was very supportive. After all, we were going to Europe and India to visit my parents. I was ready to hop on a flight once we passed the one month mark but my father-in-law,  who is a family doctor in Nova Scotia, advised that we hang on until the pediatrician administered the 2 month vaccines before we took Little Monkey across the globe— and so we obliged.

Why? Because we knew that vaccines are part of a healthy lifestyle as they strengthen the immune system. I believe in exposure to germs to build our immune systems and Baby Boy and Little Monkey both eat their fair share of germs, but there are some things that I rely on science to protect us from. Vaccines have saved the lives of more babies and children than any other medical intervention in the last 50 years.

We had to hop on a flight two weeks before Little Monkey was two months old. Our pediatrician was very understanding and gave her the vaccine the day before we traveled. We weren’t sure if Little Monkey would have a reaction or if she’d be super fussy but she was just fine! She cried a bit of course, but after a dose of Baby Tylenol, she was golden on our flight. With Baby Boy, we didn’t travel to a “third world” country when he was a newborn but went to Los Angeles and yet…we waited until he got his first set of needles. Yes, those first set of needles were daunting and I relied on our pediatrician to keep us informed about what was needed and when.

Growing up, one of the things I remember is how my parents would get us immunized often. I’m glad my brother and I received the tetanus vaccines according to the immunization schedule because we’d get into some odd scrape or another when we visited my grandmother’s rusty house in Sri Lanka (the house was right by the sea and you can imagine the corrosion!). Luckily neither of us were afraid of needles so it wasn’t a big deal.

With the kids I felt like I was giving them a vaccine every month during that first year but in reality our pediatrician was following a schedule and I always asked if I could take a photo of the immunization record after each shot. They kept the card at the doctor’s office and I wanted to ensure that in case of any emergencies, especially during our travels, I had all the medical details with me. What better way than to have the images on my phone that rarely leaves my side?  You will also notice that I took pictures of the kids at the doctor’s office right after the needles, I really do like documenting everything, don’t I?

With Little Monkey entering the school system in a few months, (I put in our application a couple weeks ago) the school registration form asked about her immunization records! I didn’t know this but kids must have up-to-date immunization records to attend school or licensed daycare centres in Ontario. Immunization protects children from many serious diseases that are easily spread in schools and daycare centres, so I understand why they’ve required this. No complaints from the hubs because he’s very keen on surrounding our kids with those who have been following a similar vaccine routine as we have.

Being vaccinated is one of the reasons that we’re so fearless when it comes to visiting foreign lands and yes we’re all going to pick up some new germs from our travels, but we’ve taken control of the elements that we can. We’re immunized, got our finances in check, and follow safe procedures during our travels.

This post was developed in association with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The opinions, as always, are totally mine!

Getting immunized is an important part of creating a foundation for a healthy life. If you’re on the fence about immunizing, here’s the information you need to make an informed decision for your family.

• How We Can Increase Vaccination Rates and Protect Our Kids
• Why It’s Essential for Kids with Allergies to Be Immunized
• Erica Ehm talks with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer to Get Straight answers about immunizations
• Five Important Reasons This Pediatrician Vaccinates Her Kids – and Why You Should Too
• Why Vaccination Isn’t Just About You – It’s About All of Us