While the controversy surrounding immunizations and some parents’ choice to forgo them wages on, parents who have opted to thoroughly vaccinate their children against serious illnesses can find it difficult to track which ones have been administered, which are due, and what each round protects against. For parents who have chosen to vaccinate their children and who also own an iPhone, here are 10 of the most useful apps for tracking those immunizations.- Shots by STFM – While this free app was designed for medical professionals and educators, it can also be a valuable resource for parents who want to research contraindications, recommendations, and standard practices related to immunizations. Complete with graphics and commentary, Shots is a wealth of information regarding preventable disease.
- Baby Vaccines – For $1.99 you can create an immunization record and schedule for your child from birth to 14 years of age with Baby Vaccines. Descriptions of each vaccine and the suggested age for administration are presented in an easily read chart. Also, the ability to see shots for each wellness milestone checkup means you’ll never be surprised by a vaccination again.
- Vaccines – Not only does this $4.99 app allow you to manage and track immunizations for your children, it also suggests vaccines for the adults in the family based on their medical information and other factors. Regularly updated to reflect the Centers for Disease Control’s newest recommendations, Vaccines helps you stay on top of immunizations for everyone in the family.
- ACP Immunization Advisor – Another app designed for use by medical professionals that is also of great use to parents is the ACP Immunization Advisor, a free app from the American College of Physicians. Parents who are interested in learning more about vaccines before deciding to have them administered to their children might also find the ACP Immunization Advisor to be a useful tool.
- Child Immunisation Tracker – The birth of a baby marks the beginning of an incredibly hectic time for new parents, which means that reminders for even routine tasks can come in handy. Rather than keeping up with scattered notes and messages to yourself regarding your baby’s upcoming immunizations, you might find it more effective and less stressful to simply manage them with this free app.
- Healix Travel Vaccinations – If you’re planning to travel internationally with your children, they may require more vaccinations than are administered as part of a standard immunization plan. This free app can help you make sense of these new vaccinations, determine what illnesses they protect against, and store the information for future access.
- Vaccinations – You’ll have precise knowledge regarding the serious illnesses that your children are protected against through their existing vaccinations and what leading global health organizations suggest for future immunizations with the Vaccinations app. Free in the App Store, Vaccinations also allows you to save all of your kids’ vaccination records and transfer them to other devices.
- CDC Vaccine Schedule for Adults & Children – Making sure that your children are fully vaccinated and up-to-date according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires you to be aware of their recommended immunization schedule. Not only will this app help you maintain current vaccinations for your children, you’ll also be able to keep track of the recommended adult immunizations to protect your own health.
- My Shots – Enter the vaccinations your children have already received upon downloading this app, then maintain their records by updating it with each new immunization. This $2.99 app allows you to track and manage vaccination information for the whole family, and keep those records on hand for future reference.
- Johns Hopkins ABX Guide: Vaccines – This free app from the highly respected medical staff at Johns Hopkins provides you with detailed information about all common vaccines, including options for administering them, contraindications, and any possible side effects. Be prepared for each of your child’s upcoming immunizations before you ever step foot in the pediatrician’s office.
Ultimately, it is a parent’s right to choose not to have vaccinations and immunizations administered to their child at birth. Parents that are considering the option to not vaccinate should keep in mind, however, that unvaccinated children can present a health risk for their friends and schoolmates, as well as risk their own wellbeing. You should consider every facet of the issue before choosing not to immunize your child, including the very real risk of his contracting a serious, preventable illness.
