When immunizing preterm and/or low birth weight infants, vaccine doses should be _______ compared to term infants.

• A. Divided
• B. Kept the same
• C. Reduced
• D. Increased

Answer: (B)

Doses should be kept the same as term infants. Immunizations in preterm or low birth weight babies are given according to the infant’s chronological age, not adjusted for prematurity. The immune system’s maturation with time drives when vaccines are given, and the standard dose amounts are designed to work at those ages regardless of birth weight. Delaying, splitting, reducing, or increasing doses would either leave the infant unprotected during a vulnerable period or raise unnecessary safety concerns. In practice, preterm infants receive vaccines on the same schedule as term infants based on how many weeks have elapsed since birth, with the usual exceptions only for medical instability.