
On top of regular exams and doctor's appointments I have scheduled, I made it a point to get my flu shot last week to help prevent my unborn child and I from getting knocked out with the nasty illness. Before she gave it to me, my OB/GYN also told me that I will need a
Dtap (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine soon after my delivery.
Although children are often vaccinated with the Dtap vaccine at two, four and six months of age, the shots may not take effect until the child has received one or two of them.

Today's
World Rabies Day to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies . . .

Most tots don't like getting shots and many parents can't bear to watch, but it seems the process will continue as federal officials are now recommending that all children between six months and eighteen years of age get the flu shot. This will protect an additional 30 million minors.
A CNN article said:The age group was expanded this year because children are two to three times more likely to contract the disease than are adults, said Dr.

I'm starting to think that the pharmaceutical company is keeping better tabs on my 20-month-old than I am. Earlier in the week, it struck me as odd when
my son received a stock-printed card from a pharmaceutical company reminding him that he had missed a vaccination. As he can't read and I handle our family's medical matters, I relayed the message and meant to call our pediatrician's office to inquire about the notice, but haven't had a chance.

As mothers, it is our instinct to help those we see in harm's way — the fallen child on the playground, the lost lil one in the supermarket or the tot running toward traffic, but it's hard to assist those that we do not see, people who struggle just to survive. At the
Pampers Mommy Blogger Event earlier this month, I had the great pleasure of meeting Caryl Stern, the President and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. She is both an inspiring woman and a mother of three who is committed to wiping out tetanus, which killed 140,000 babies and 30,000 mothers last year.

Like many other mamas, I am a bit weary of vaccinations. The
autism argument aside, my daughter used to sleep most of the day after getting her shots. My son, on the other hand, has developed fevers after a few of his vaccinations and once had two quarter sized welts on his arms in the weeks that followed.

Telling
Cookie magazine that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites has brought a lot of negative press to Amanda Peet. The mother of 18–month–old Frankie denies any connection between
autism and
vaccines. In a star war of sorts, actress
Jenny McCarthy, mother to autistic son Evan, is in the opposite camp that believes the two are linked.

Actress and mama
Amanda Peet published
an apology in Cookie for calling parents who don’t vaccinate their kids “parasites” during an interview. The mother of 18-month-old Frances said: I believe in my heart that my use of the word "parasites" was mean and divisive; I completely understand why it offended some parents, and in particular, parents of children with autism who feel that vaccines caused their illness. For this I am truly sorry.

Amanda Peet's comments advocating vaccinations in
Cookie magazine sparked debate among lilsugar readers. And that heated conversation wasn't limited to our website.
Cookie's forum was also full of comments from passionate parents.

Recently challenged with playing a pregnant woman on–screen for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, actress
Amanda Peet has been enjoying the real life role of motherhood with daughter Frances, better known as Frankie. As many new moms ponder the possible side effects of vaccinations, Amanda did her own research and decided regularly scheduled vaccinations were just what the doctor ordered.
When asked about the controversial subject, the Manhattan raised thespian told
Cookie that upon her pregnancy discovery, she called her brother–in–law, who happens to be a pediatrician, every five minutes to inquire about vaccinations and their benefits.