Neonatal and Perinatal Nursing

Vaccinations/Drugs & Immunology in Neonatal

Newborns have an immature immune system that provides them at high risk for infection while simultaneously decrease responses to most vaccines, thereby present challenges in protecting this endangered population. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or reduce the effects of infection by any natural or wild pathogen. Many vaccines require multiple doses for maximum efficacy, either to produce sufficient initial immune response or to boost response that disappears over time. For example, tetanus vaccine boosters are often suggesting every 10 years. Vaccine schedules are developed by governmental agencies or physicians groups to achieve maximum effectiveness using required and endorse vaccines for a position while minimizing the number of health care system interactions.