A nurse is reinforcing education with the caregiver of a school-age child regarding immunizations to prevent respiratory infections. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?
Explanation & Rationale
A. "Most vaccines require only one dose." Many vaccines require multiple doses or booster shots to ensure long-term immunity. For example, the influenza vaccine is given annually, and the pneumococcal vaccine may require boosters in high-risk children. B. "Children who have underlying respiratory diseases should not receive vaccines." Children with underlying respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis) are often at higher risk for complications from respiratory infections. Vaccination is especially important for these children to protect them from severe illness. C. "Early immunization is key to the prevention of illnesses." Vaccinating children at the recommended ages helps build early immunity against preventable respiratory infections like influenza, pneumococcal disease, and pertussis. Early immunization reduces disease severity and complications. D. "The rhinovirus can be prevented with a vaccine." The rhinovirus (which causes the common cold) does not have a vaccine because it has many different strains and mutates frequently. Vaccines are available for other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, pneumonia, and pertussis.