What you need to know about
Childhood Vaccines
What are Vaccines?
A vaccine is a product that produces
immunity. A nurse or doctor injects them
with a syringe.
What Vaccines Do
Vaccines trick our immune systems into
thinking a germ is infecting us. The germ
in the vaccine is dead or too weak to make
you sick, but your immune system still
recognizes it as a threat. Your immune
system makes antibodies to fight off the
infection. Your immune system remembers
the germ and protects you from getting
sick if exposed to the germ again.
Why Vaccinate?
Risk Factors
of Not Vaccinating
Children not vaccinated against a
disease are at high risk of getting
the disease when exposed.
Most authorities agree the risks
of vaccinations are FAR LESS
than the benefits of avoidance
of the diseases they target.
Vaccines don’t cure infections, they
prevent them. The infections that vaccines
protect us from would quickly overwhelm
our immune systems before the immune
system could fight it off. Since the immune
system had a “trial run” against the germ, it
can fight the infection quickly and efficiently
to keep you from getting the disease.
Vaccines protect healthy children against
infections that could harm them. Vaccines
also protect children and adults whose
immune systems don’t work, including:
• People with organ transplants must take
medicines to keep the immune system
from attacking their transplanted organ.
• People treated for cancer also have
weak immune systems.
• People with diseases like sickle cell anemia
or AIDS also cannot fight off infections well.
Vaccine Schedules
A health coach can help you
meet your healthy lifestyle goals
Call an IEBP Professional Health
Coach at 1-888-818-2822
The 2015 recommendations from the Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention follow. The
CDC updates recommendations each year. A
link is available at the end of this fact sheet
so you can check updates each year.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus spread through blood,
semen, and other bodily fluids. Babies are
exposed to it during birth if mom is
infected. Hepatitis B attacks the liver
and can keep it from working properly
and sometimes causes cancer of the
liver. Babies get a shot at birth and
then two more.
Rotavirus
Rotovirus causes severe vomiting and
diarrhea and is spread by not washing
your hands after using the bathroom
or changing diapers. This vaccine is a
liquid and given by mouth in 2 to 3 doses
depending on the brand of vaccine used.
Polio
Polio is caused by a virus that attacks
nerves. It is very contagious and
spreads through coughing, sneezing, or
coming into contact with feces. Polio
weakens muscles; sometimes permanently. Sometimes breathing muscles
are damaged and people need ventilators to breathe. Many people who
recovered from polio as a child develop
muscle weakness in mid life. This is
called post polio. While polio has not
been seen in the US for many years, it
is present in other countries. It is given
in four injections.
Pneumococcal Conjugate
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
protects against bacteria that causes
pneumonia. It can also cause meningitis or ear, sinus or blood infections. It
spreads through coughing or sneezing
or contact with saliva. Children under
two are at high risk of getting this infection. It is given in four injections.
Influenza
Flu shots protect against influenza
and are given each year. The vaccine
is made of the strains of flu viruses
scientists think are most likely to cause
infections in that year. Many people
think the “flu” is not serious, but flu
kills 10 to 20,000 people every year.
Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used to
replace professional medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning
a new treatment, diet or fitness program. This information should not be considered
complete, nor should it be relied on in diagnosing or treating a medical condition.
Side Effects
Rarely some vaccines cause serious
and permanent side effects. Usual
side effects include redness, a small
amount of swelling, and/or soreness
and itching at the place where the
injection went in. Moving the arm
where the injection was given during
the day will help the vaccine be
absorbed. This helps with discomfort. You can take acetaminophen
or ibuprofen if the soreness bothers
you. Ice can also be soothing. Report
severe swelling, redness or soreness
to your health care provider.
Fact sheets on each vaccine
and their effects are available on the Centers for Disease
and Prevention website at:
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis
A Note About
Vaccines and Autism
Many people became concerned
that a preservative in vaccines
called thimerosal was causing
autism. Thimerosal contains a
type of mercury, but not the type
that causes neurological diseases.
Thimerosal was taken out of
children’s vaccines in 2001. There is
no evidence that thimerosal caused
health problems beyond irritation at
the injection site.
Autism continues to increase even
though children are no longer
exposed to thimerosal.
Questions to ask your
Healthcare Provider
• What vaccines does my child
need?
• Are there any vaccines my child
should not take?
Helpful Websites
Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention | Immunization Schedules
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/
FDA | Thimerosal (Mercury) in Vaccines
www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/
SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/
UCM096228
C hi l d h ood Vac c i nes
continued
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine is
given in three injections in the first 6 months
of life and one injection again at 15-18
months of life and at 4-6 years of age. This
vaccine protects against three infections.
• Diphtheria is a bacteria and spreads through
coughing and sneezing or contact with
dirty toys. The bacteria make a toxin. The
toxin makes you ill. The toxin kills off cells.
The dead cells can cover the back of your
throat and nose making it hard to breathe
or swallow. The toxin can also damage your
child’s heart. Diphtheria kills one out of five
children under the age of five.
• Tetanus is a bacteria that lives in dirt,
dust, and manure. People don’t spread it.
Tetanus gets into cuts, sores or puncture
wounds. It cause muscles to spasm and
tighten. These spasms are hard enough to
break bones. It is also known as lockjaw
because the jaw muscles tighten so you
can’t open your mouth. Tetanus can also
cause seizures.
• Pertussis is also known as whooping
cough. It spreads through coughing
and sneezing. It is very contagious. The
bacteria that cause it make a toxin. This
toxin causes coughing that lasts a minute
and can cause vomiting. Babies may stop
breathing during a coughing spell.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is given
between 12 and 15 months and then again
at 4-6 years of age.
• Measles or rubeola is a virus. It spreads
through breathing, coughing, and
sneezing. It causes a rash, and symptoms like a cold. Measles can also cause
seizures and brain damage.
• Mumps is caused by a virus. It spreads
through sneezing, coughing and touching
things that have infected saliva on them.
Mumps causes severe swelling in the
salivary glands in the neck. These glands
make saliva. Mumps can cause an infection of the brain or temporary or permanent deafness. If people catch the mumps
after puberty, it can affect their reproductive organs. This can cause sterility in
men and inflammation of the ovaries and
breasts in women.
• Rubella, also known as German measles,
is caused by a virus spread through
coughing or sneezing. Rubella is usually
a mild infection in children. If a pregnant
woman catches rubella she may miscarry
or the baby may be born with deafness,
intellectual disability or heart defects.
HIB
Haemophilus influenza, type b or HIB
is a bacteria. HIB infects ears, lungs,
blood, and skin. It can cause arthritis and
meningitis. HIB spreads through coughing
and sneezing. The person coughing and
sneezing may not look or feel sick. HIB
causes serious illness in children under
five. Before the vaccine, one in 20 children died. One out of four children who
survived had brain damage. Initially, 2-3
doses are given with third or fourth doses
given as a booster at age 15-18 months.
Pneumococcal Conjugate
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine protects
against bacteria that causes pneumonia. It
can also cause meningitis or ear, sinus or
blood infections. It spreads through coughing
or sneezing or contact with saliva. Children
under two are at high risk of getting this
infection. It is given in four injections.
Varicella (Chickenpox)
A virus causes varicella or chickenpox. It
spreads through coughing, sneezing or
touching surfaces that came in contact
with the blisters. It causes a very itchy rash.
The vaccine is usually given in two injections at 12-15 months and again between
4-6 years of age. Once a child gets over
chickenpox, the virus “hides out” in the
body where it can cause shingles in adulthood. Vaccines don’t protect you from
shingles, but the case will be milder.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a virus spread through
contact with feces by direct contact or
through contaminated food or water. It
infects the liver. The vaccine is usually
given in two doses between 12 and
23 months of age, but can be given
anytime during a person’s life.
Human Papillomavirus
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus
spread through sexual contact. The vaccine
is usually given in three doses to boys and
girls at age 11-12 years of age. HPV causes
genital warts and cancers in the body.
Meningococcal
Meningococcal causes meningitis. It is
spread through close contact such as
living with an infected person or kissing.
It is not very contagious, but 10-15% of
people infected die. 11-19% of those
who live develop brain damage, deafness, or loss of limbs. The vaccine is
usually given in one injection at 11-12
years of age and a booster at 16-18
years of age. People living in groups such
as dorms at college or in the military are
more likely to get meningitis.
Reading Level 7.5 | Revised 2/20/2015 | Page 2