Immunizations

Immunizations help your child develop a strong and healthy immune system and are among the services available through SEARK Children's Clinic in Monticello, Arkansas. James Atkins, MD, FAAP, administers immunizations based on the current guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To schedule a visit, try the easy online booking tool, or call during routine business hours. 

What’s the difference between vaccines and immunization?

Very often, the terms “vaccine” and “immunization” are used interchangeably. Vaccines are substances used to prompt your natural immune response. Immunization is the overall process of building immunity through vaccination. 

In most cases, all mentions and variations of these words are used to refer to the same basic concept: creating a strong and healthy immune system by way of vaccines. 

How do vaccines work?

To understand how vaccines work, it helps to consider the way your body creates natural immunity. Antigens are substances that can harm humans, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Each time you’re exposed to an antigen your immune system responds by swiftly creating antibodies that fight off that specific antigen. 

Once this process occurs, your body “remembers” how to fight off that type of infection for the rest of your life. This process occurs naturally, but there are certain antigens that create such a strong infection that your body can become overwhelmed before you have a chance to build that natural immunity. 

That’s where vaccines come in. Vaccines use a weakened, dead, or altered version of specific antigens to prompt your immune system to create a defense. In the United States, most vaccines are administered during childhood to help kids develop a powerful arsenal to fight off serious disease for the rest of their lives.  

Is immunization safe?

A substantial volume of misinformation about vaccines has been spread online and in person for many years. In reality, the world’s leading health experts agree that not only are vaccines safe, they are also the absolute best way to protect kids against serious and often life-threatening types of disease. 

You can see the effects of widespread immunization when you compare mortality and disease statistics from around the world. In places where vaccines are widely available, rates of childhood death due to infectious disease are far lower than in areas where children and adults lack access to these essential preventive health tools. 

If you’d like to have your child’s immunization records reviewed or need to fill in the gaps with specific vaccines, booking an appointment is as easy as a quick visit to the online scheduling page. You can also call to check appointment availability.