"Shot Pocket" Helps Parents Track Children’s Immunizations

The cold and flu season is winding down; however, parents should remain diligent about children’s immunizations year-round to avoid illness.

The free Texas Children’s Hospital Shot Pocket, a convenient, informative new booklet to assist parents in keeping track of their children’s immunization records, is available now through Texas Children’s Hospital.

Shot Pocket, a pocket-sized immunization record that parents can take to doctor appointments, school registration and other places where immunization data is needed, is a handy way to ensure that an up-to-date shot history is available at all times.

"The Shot Pocket provides a portable, easy-to-maintain document for parents to use to better record a child’s immunization history," said Dr. Julie Boom, a physician with Texas Children’s residents primary care group clinic and director of Texas Children’s Immunization Project, as well as an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

"The system will help ensure all children are properly immunized, and it will assist us in raising the overall immunization rates of children."

Immunizations protect children against a variety of potentially dangerous diseases, including diphtheria, hepatitis, Hib (a major cause of bacterial meningitis), measles, German measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumococcal disease, polio, tetanus and varicella (chicken pox).

Immunization records usually are kept at the office of the pediatrician or primary-care provider, and parents often don’t have their own copies.

"When parents take their child to a new physician, the Shot Pocket always can be carried with them," said Heather Martin, coordinator of the Texas Children’s Immunization Action Plan. "As a new mother, I know this definitely makes keeping track of my child’s shots much easier."

In addition to the immunization record, the Shot Pocket provides space to note the following information for each child:

• Blood type
• Pediatrician’s name and phone number
• Growth record
• Allergies and other health problems
• Phone numbers and Website addresses for immunization information

To request a free Shot Pocket, call (832) 824-2112 or join Texas Children’s Online Parents’ Connection at http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org. The Parents’ Connection offers access to children’s health and safety information from Texas Children’s staff and Baylor College of Medicine physicians.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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