Immunization priority

The answer is B.

Which childhood immunization should be delivered first, according to pediatric and family health experts? If you answered Hepatitis B, you were correct.

The first dose of Hepatitis B vaccine should be given soon after birth -- before infants leave the hospital, according to national vaccination guidelines. Depending on the type of vaccine used, infants should receive three or four doses of Hepatitis B vaccine.

Hepatitis B is just one of several vaccines recommended for American children -- and required by most school districts before children can attend.

When they're 2 months old, children should receive the DTP, haemophilus influenzae type b and inactivated polio vaccines, followed by repeats of those as well as others over the coming months. Unfortunately, according to the federal government, more than 900,000 children across the U.S. have not been properly vaccinated.

Resources

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) provides a document showing the recommended childhood immunization schedule, with short descriptions of the vaccines listed.
The AAFP site also provides info about recommended childhood health evaluations.

May 11, 2002