Vaccines Provide Many Health Benefits for Babies

Cocooning to protect your newborn

• What is cocooning?

  Cocooning is an easy way to prevent babies younger than six months old from getting sick from the people around them. This can be from parents, siblings and grandparents.

  When everyone in your baby's circle is up-to-date on their vaccinations, they are less likely to spread infections to your baby. They create a "cocoon" of protection, keeping your little one safe from serious diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough), COVID-19 and the flu.

• What vaccines do we need to protect babies?
  • Everyone should stay up-to-date according to Ontario's free vaccine program.
  • Teenagers and adults need a booster dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine every 10 years
  • Ontario offers Tdap vaccine in every pregnancy to protect the mother and baby. Regardless of any previous doses of Tdap, all pregnant women should get the pertussis vaccine in every pregnancy.
  • Everyone six months of age and older should receive the flu shot every year
  • Everyone six months of age and older are recommended to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations

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.

  The routine vaccine schedule is designed to protect your baby when they're most at risk for certain diseases. A delay or gap in getting these vaccines leaves them vulnerable. 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

  Use Immunize Connect to report vaccinations online for children 0 - 17 years. Your baby's health care provider is not required to do this for you. Use the 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 Vaccinations or Request Records
• School Vaccinations
• Vaccines are Safe
• School Immunization Record Review