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24 Hudson Valley Parent n July 2016 there are too many vaccinations too soon, but according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies are exposed to many antigens every time they eat, play on the floor or put a toy in their mouth - more than what they will get from the vaccines, and although infants do receive a lot of shots, they are given at the time babies are most at risk of illness and serious complications from the disease. Side effects? According to the Centers for Dis- ease Control (CDC), millions of chil- dren are safely vaccinated each year and the most common side effects are mild, such as pain or swelling at the injection site, fussiness, or a low- grade fever can happen and tend to go away within a few days. But serious side effects like sei- zures or convulsions, non-stop crying for three hours or more, very high fevers (above 104 degrees), seri- ous allergic reactions, severe brain reactions, and low blood counts have been reported, although the CDC says all are so rare (about 1 in 14,000 for seizures, for example), they question whether those reac- tions are actually caused by the vac- cines or other underlying illnesses. And although the infant vaccina- tion schedule does seem like a lot of shots for your little one, Dr. Schiskie says that combined vaccines can result in fewer actual shots for your child. "I don't have huge concerns about the immunizations that are given to my daughters, because in the long run it's preventative medicine," Masullo says. "As a parent there are always concerns, but I'm a strong believer in keeping them as healthy as possible. I've learned to pick my battles wisely and this battle is some- thing I'm willing to fight for." VACCINES (Continued from Page 22)