Immunizations

Topic Overview

What are immunizations?

Immunizations help protect you or your child from disease. They also help reduce the spread of disease to others and prevent epidemics. Most are given as shots. They are sometimes called vaccines, or vaccinations.

In many cases when you get a vaccine, you get a tiny amount of the organism that causes the disease. This amount is not enough to give you the actual disease. But it is enough to cause your immune system to make antibodies that can recognize and attack the organism if you are ever exposed to it.

Sometimes a vaccine does not completely prevent the disease, but it will make the disease much less serious if you do get it.

Some immunizations are given only once. Others require several doses over time.

Why should you get immunized?

• Immunizations protect you or your child from dangerous diseases.
• They help reduce the spread of disease to others.
• Getting immunized costs less than getting treated for the diseases that the shots protect you from.
• Vaccines have very few serious side effects.
• They are often needed for entrance into school or day care.

If you are a woman who is planning to get pregnant, talk to your doctor about what immunizations you have had and what you may need to protect your baby. And if you live with a pregnant woman, make sure your vaccines are up-to-date.

Traveling to other countries may be another reason to get immunized. Talk with your doctor 6 months before you leave to see if you need any shots.

What immunizations are recommended for children?

Ask your doctor what shots your child should get. Your doctor may recommend other shots too, if your child is more likely to have certain health problems.

The standard childhood immunization schedule includes vaccines for:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (also known as whooping cough).
• Polio.
• Measles, mumps, and rubella.
• Chickenpox.
• Rotavirus.
• Hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis A.
• Haemophilus influenzae type b disease, or Hib disease. This infection can lead to serious illness in young children, including pneumonia and meningitis.
• Pneumococcal disease. This infection can also cause pneumonia and meningitis, as well as other serious illnesses, in young children.
• Flu (Influenza). This vaccine is not given to children younger than 6 months.

Immunizations start right after birth and are given throughout a baby's first 23 months. Booster shots are usually given between the ages of 4 years and 6 years. Booster shots are the later doses of any vaccines that need to be repeated over time.

Fewer immunizations are needed after age 6. These are mostly just those given every year (such as a flu shot) or on a regular schedule during adulthood (such as a tetanus shot).

It is important to keep a good record (What is a PDF document?), including a list of any reactions to the vaccines. You may need to show proof of immunizations when you enroll your child in day care or school.

Talk to your doctor if you or your child plans to be in a group living situation, like a college dormitory or summer camp. You may want certain shots, like those for the flu or meningitis.

What vaccines are recommended for adults?

The vaccines you need as an adult depend on your gender, age, lifestyle, travel plans, overall health, and what vaccines you had as a child.

Talk to your doctor about which vaccines you need. Depending on your situation, you may need vaccines for:

• Chickenpox.
• Flu.
• Hepatitis A and/or B.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Measles, mumps, and rubella.
• Pneumococcal disease.
• Polio.
• Shingles.
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

What are the side effects of vaccines?

Most side effects from vaccines are minor, if they occur at all. Your doctor will explain the reactions that could occur. They may include:

• Redness, mild swelling, or soreness where the shot was given.
• A slight fever.
• Drowsiness, crankiness, and poor appetite in some babies.
• A mild rash 7 to 14 days after chickenpox or measles-mumps-rubella shots.
• Temporary joint pain after a measles-mumps-rubella shot.

Serious reactions, such as a fever over 104.5°F (40.3°C) or trouble breathing, are rare. If you or your child has an unusual reaction, call your doctor.

It is much more dangerous for a child to risk getting the diseases than it is to risk having a serious reaction to the vaccine.

Can vaccines cause other problems?

Some parents question whether mercury-containing thimerosal (used as a preservative in vaccines) might cause autism. Studies have not found a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.¹ Today, all routine childhood vaccines made for the U.S. market contain either no thimerosal or only trace amounts.²

Some people worry that the shot for measles, mumps, and rubella can cause autism in children. This is because symptoms of autism are first noticed around 1 year of age, which is about the same time children get their first shot for measles. But many studies have been done, and no link has been found between this vaccine and autism.³

Should you get immunizations to protect yourself from anthrax or smallpox?

It’s scary to think that someone might use the germs that cause diseases like anthrax and smallpox as weapons. But the U.S. government does not recommend immunizations for these diseases. And the vaccines are not available to the general public.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does recommend that certain people be immunized, such as some lab workers, health care workers, and military members.

You can find the latest information about vaccine recommendations for anthrax and smallpox at the CDC’s Web site:

• For smallpox information, go to www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox.
• For anthrax information, go to www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/vaccination/index.asp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about immunizations:	What are immunizations? Why are they needed? What is the standard childhood immunization schedule? How can I keep track of my child's immunizations? (What is a PDF document?) What should I know about childhood immunizations? What should I know about immunizations during adolescence? Do adults need immunizations?
Types of immunizations:	What are the immunization recommendations for: Bacterial meningitis (MCV4 or MPSV4)? (What is a PDF document?) Chickenpox (varicella)? (What is a PDF document?) Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)? (What is a PDF document?) Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)? (What is a PDF document?) Hepatitis A (Hep A)? (What is a PDF document?) Hepatitis B (Hep B)? (What is a PDF document?) Human papillomavirus (HPV)? (What is a PDF document?) Inactivated influenza (flu shot)? (What is a PDF document?) Live, nasal spray influenza? (What is a PDF document?) Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)? (What is a PDF document?) Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV)? (What is a PDF document?) Pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPV)? (What is a PDF document?) Polio (inactivated polio vaccine, or IPV)? (What is a PDF document?) Rotavirus? (What is a PDF document?) Shingles? (What is a PDF document?) Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)? (What is a PDF document?)
Common concerns:	Can my child be immunized when he or she has a cold? How do I know when to call a doctor about a reaction to an immunization? Are immunizations dangerous? Can they cause autism? Are they still needed for diseases that few people get any more? Is it dangerous to get more than one immunization at a time? How can I help my child be comfortable while he or she is getting a shot? Should my daughter get the HPV vaccine?
Ongoing concerns:	Do I need immunizations for travel? Do I need immunizations for anthrax and smallpox? How can I treat side effects from immunizations?

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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated August 30, 2007
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics
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