At Pelican Pediatrics we follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for health supervision and recommend a schedule of routine well visits, screening, and immunizations to help your child stay healthy and monitor growth and development:

Please note that even if your child has received immunizations/labs at another facility, we can modify this schedule consistent with guidelines to fit your child’s needs.

We also at the present time offer a Pediarix combo vaccine (DaPT, IPV, HepB) which can save your child many injections.

Although we will provide handouts on all vaccines, here are a few important comments:

DaPT = diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus. This is an improved vaccine which has drastically reduced side effects now that the pertussis component is acellular. Pertussis is whooping cough which is appearing far too frequently in Illinois and other states and truly can be a fatal disease.

dT = This is a “booster” shot for diphtheria and tetanus.

MMR = Measles, mumps, rubella. Unlike other vaccines which typically have the possibility of fever in 24-48 hours, this shot can occasionally cause fever/rash on day 7-12 after the shot. There is no risk to others. Numerous studies have supported that MMR does NOT cause autism and we fully support that this vaccine is necessary for superb health.

IPV = Polio vaccine is no longer a live virus given by mouth so you cannot contract polio.

Hib = Hemophilus influenza B. It is amazing how this vaccine has been single-handedly responsible for such a huge reduction of bacterial disease like meningitis and epiglottitis. It has no relationship to influenza or “flu”.

Prevnar = a vaccine against the pneumococcal bacteria that causes pneumonia, sepsis(bacteria in blood), and meningitis and well as ear infections.

HepB = This vaccine protects against a virus that damages the liver. Sometimes this vaccine was not given in infancy but can be caught up at any age.

Varivax = Chicken pox is not a benign disease. In addition to scarring and significant time of illness, complications like encephalitis, secondary bacterial infection, hepatitis, and many others need to be avoided. This vaccine may not provide 100% protection for everyone, but will significantly diminish disease severity and number of lesions.

Menactra = This is a vaccine you will be hearing more about that is protective against meningococcal bacteria that causes a deadly meningitis.

Menactra is now considered "strongly recommended" by the AAP and CDC for the
age group 11-18 to prevent bacterial meningitis.

Influenza = We will stay in touch with CDC guidelines so watch here for updates.