| Immunizations all information and pictures on this web page are from the Immunization Action Coalition, www.immunize.org |
| Hepatitis B (HepB) 0–2 months; 1 – 4 months, 6 – 18 months Hepatitis B is an disease of the liver, causing it to swell and quit working effectively. It is caused by a virus which is passed through contact with an infected person’s blood, semen, or other bodily fluid. Symptoms of Hepatitis B are lethargy, nausea, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dark yellow urine, stomach pain, light-colored stools, yellowish skin and eyes. Hepatitis B can be treated with drugs (Interferon, Lamivudine, and Adefovir Dipivoxil) or surgery. |
| A woman who is suffering from liver cancer caused by Hepatitis B. |
| Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DtaP) 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 – 18 months, 4–6 years Diphtheria is a bacterial disease that is spread through respiratory droplets (coughing, sneezing). Symptoms are a fever, sore throat, and a thick coating on the back of the tongue which may make it hard to breathe or swallow. Sometimes it can also effect the larynx, eyes, vagina, skin, and nose. Untreated diphtheria can cause heart problems, paralysis, and even death. Tetanus is a bacterial disease that is spread through punctures and contamination with the bacteria. It is not spread from person to person. Symptoms include tightness of the jaw muscle, painful neck, difficulty swallowing, painful abdomen, fever, sweat, and elevated blood pressure. Tetanus can lead to seizures and death. Pertussis is a bacterial disease that is spread through infectious droplets and it is highly contagious. The three stages: 1) runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, low grade fever; 2) characterized by a burst or paroxysm of numerous rapid coughs. It is followed by a long inhaling effort characterized by a high-pitched whoop (whooping cough); 3) convalescing which may last for months. |
| Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 – 15 months Haemophilus influenzae type b is a bacterial disease spread by respiratory droplets, but it is not highly contagious. The most common type of Hib is meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges (covering of the brain), and the symptoms are fever, stiff neck, and decreased mental status. The disease can lead to death or permanent neurological damage such as deafness, blindness, or mental retardation. |
| Hepatitis A 12 – 23 months, and no sooner than 6 months later Hepatitis A is caused by a virus, causing the liver to swell and stop working effectively. Symptoms of Hepatitis A are lethargy, nausea, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dark yellow urine, stomach pain, light-colored stools, yellowish skin and eyes. |
| Inactivated Poliovirus (IPV) 2 months, 4 months, 16 – 18 months, 4 – 6 years Polio is usually spread via the fecal-oral route, but may be spread through the oral-oral route. It is caused by a virus. Surprisingly, 95% of people who are infected with polio never show any symptoms. Another 4% to 8% have regular symptoms of a viral infection – fever, sore throat, nausea, vomiting. Another 1% to 2% develop nonparalytic aseptic meningitis with temporary stiffness of the neck, legs, and/or back. Less than 2% show the classic “flaccid paralysis”, which leaves the patient with permanent weakness, or paralysis of the legs, arms, or both. Severe polio can be fatal. |
| Hospital respiratory ward in Los Angeles, 1952. Polio patients were placed in "iron lungs" to help them to breathe. |
| Top to bottom: A child with a rash due to measles. A child with mumps. A child with a mild rubella rash. A baby with Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Chicken pox (varicella). |
| Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) 12 – 18 months, 4 – 6 years Measles is caused by a virus, and are spread by infectious droplets and is very contagious. Symptoms are fever, runny nose, cough, lack of appetite, “pink eye” and a rash. Complications from measles can be diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis, which can be fatal or cause permanent brain damage. Mumps is a viral infection, spread through the air. It is less infectious than measles or chicken pox. Symptoms include fever, headache, loss of appetite, and a swelling of the salivary glands, or “parotitis.” Mumps is a generally mild illness for small children, but adults have more serious complications. Complications from mumps include meningitis, testicular inflammation, sterility, and deafness. Rubella is a viral infection, spread through the air. It is less infectious than measles or chicken pox. The first symptom is a rash, and it is a mild illness in children, but adults may have more serious complications, particularly pregnant women. If a pregnant woman is infected with rubella in the first trimester, her baby may experience fetal death, premature delivery, or serious birth defects. Congenital Rubella Syndrome can cause deafness, eye defects, heart defects, mental retardation, etc. for a developing fetus. |
| Varicella ~ one year (between 12 and 18 months) Chicken pox (varicella) is a viral infection, caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is spread through direct contact or through airborne droplets (coughing, sneezing). It is highly contagious. Symptoms are rash, coughing, fever, fussiness, headache, and loss of appetite. Complications are pneumonia, infection of the brain, bacterial infection of the skin or other parts of the body, and has been known to be fatal. |
| Meningococcal (MPSV4) 11 – 12 years Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterium. There are 5 subtypes, A, B, C, Y, and W135. It is spread person to person through exchange of respiratory and throat secretions through kissing, coughing, or sharing eating utensils. It can make the person extremely ill with septicemia (blood infection) or meningitis (infection of the meninges). This disease progresses very quickly, and symptoms include high fever, chills, lethargy, rash, headache, neck stiffness, seizures. Shock, coma, and even death can occur in extreme cases. 10% to 15% of people who recover from bacterial meningitis suffer permanent hearing loss, limb loss, brain damage, or other serious after-effects. |
| Pneumococcal (PCV) 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 – 15 months Pneumococcal disease is caused by the streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium. It is spread by droplets in the air. It can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. Pneumonia (lungs) is presented with fever, shaking chills or rigors, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, and weakness. Fatality rate is 5% to 7%. Bacteremia is infection of the blood. The symptoms of meningitis (bacterial) are headache, tiredness, vomiting, irritability, fever, seizures, and coma. Fatality rate is high (30% in children). Pneumococci are a common cause of otitis media. |
| Influenza yearly Influenza is characterized by the abrupt onset of fever, aching muscles, sore throat, non-productive cough, runny nose, headache, burning sensation in the chest, eye pain, and sensitivity to light. |
| Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. Some of these viruses are called "high-risk" types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called "low-risk" types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped. Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year. The vaccine, Gardasil, is the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts due to HPV. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended routine vaccination for girls 11-12 years of age. The ACIP recommendation also allows for vaccination of girls beginning at nine years old as well as vaccination of girls and women 13-26 years old. Recommendations of the ACIP become CDC policy once they are accepted by director of the CDC and the Secretary of HHS and are published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The vaccine is given in a series of three injections over a six-month period. The second and third doses should be given at two and six months (respectively) after the first dose. HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines. |
| The American Academy of Pediatrics has a great website with a ton of information about immunizations. GO THERE. |
| A normal liver. A liver damaged by Hepatitis B. |
| Rotavirus vaccine (Rota) 2 months, 4 months, 6 months Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea, mostly in babies and young children. It is often accompanied by vomiting and fever. Rotavirus is not the only cause of severe diarrhea, but it is one of the most serious. Each year in the United States rotavirus is responsible for: ~more than 400,000 doctor visits; ~more than 200,000 emergency room visits; ~55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations; ~20 to 60 deaths Rotavirus vaccine is an oral vaccine. It will not prevent diarrhea or vomiting caused by other illnesses. About 98% of children who get the vaccine are protected from severe rotavirus diarrhea, and about 74% do not get rotavirus diarrhea at all. |
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