FDA Approves New Children's Vaccine for Multiple Diseases

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new children’s vaccine, Vaxelis, to protect kids from six diseases, according to TODAY.

The vaccine was developed by Sanofi in partnership with Merck. Vaxelis is for kids 6 weeks to 4 years old and is designed to keep them from contracting diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B and Hib, a disease due to haemophilus influenzae type B.

Sanofi and Merck are currently working on the production and supply of the vaccine, with plans for it to be available in 2020 or later.

Vaxelis will combat six of the 14 preventable diseases the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children be immunized against. And according to a recent report by the CDC, the number of unvaccinated kids has quadrupled since 2001. The National Immunization Survey-Child, which the CDC used for its report, found children were least likely to get vaccines for hepatitis A and rotavirus.

Not sure when and why baby will need vaccines? Refer to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for infants, which lists the vaccines baby should get and when, starting from birth.

Vaccinating baby is a hot-button topic these days, but before you go into panic mode after reading what some online anti-vaccine groups have to say, see where the experts weigh in to help banish your vaccine fears. And when you’re overwhelmed by the thought of hearing baby cry while getting his vaccines, check out ways you can make shots less stressful for you and baby.

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