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One of the most important things you can do for your child is keeping his or her vaccinations current. Vaccines are among our safest and most reliable medicines. Every year, they prevent countless serious illnesses and thousands of deaths from measles, polio, diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), mumps, rubella (German measles), pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae B. About 100 million doses are given annually in the United States, most of them to infants and children as part of their routine immunizations. An immunization schedule can be found on the Tulsa Area Immunization Coalition website.
A single dose of some vaccines gives nearly complete protection. With others, a series of doses spread over months, or years, is needed for the best result.
Vaccines, like many medicines, can cause side effects. These are usually mild and brief - and very rarely serious. It is important for anyone getting a vaccine, or for parents of children receiving a vaccine, to know what the vaccine is, what its benefits are, and what risks, if any, it has.
The following information outlines some important diseases and their vaccines. If you still have questions or develop a problem that might be related to a vaccine, be sure to see your doctor or health clinic.
Diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw) and pertussis (whooping cough) are serious infections of children. All of them, especially tetanus, also occur in adults. Diphtheria affects the nose and throat (sometimes the skin) and is spread from person to person. Five to 10 percent of patients die. There are medicines helpful in treating the disease, but only immunization will prevent it.
Tetanus causes severe muscle spasms, often of the face muscles, which explains its common name, "lockjaw." As many as half the patients die. Symptoms are caused by a poison or toxin from bacteria, which grow at the site of an injury. This bacterium is commonly found in the soil and may be present on any surface. Only immunization prevents tetanus - even having the disease doesn't protect against getting it again.
Pertussis attacks the lower airway and produces the "whooping" cough of children. People of any age can become ill, but infants are most likely to have a serious or fatal case. Immunization is the only way to prevent pertussis. The combination vaccine called DTP gives good protection against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Being able to give infants a combination vaccine simplifies protecting them against three diseases with special dangers. The first dose is usually given during the first three months of life. Additional doses of the DTP series are necessary to build full immunity. Booster doses for diphtheria and tetanus should be received periodically throughout life.
The combination vaccine for adults (Td) protects against tetanus and diptheria. Persons over six years of age, often have severe reactions to pertussis vaccine.
Polio is a viral disease that often causes permanent paralysis. It is fatal in about 10 percent of patients. Thousands of cases and well over 1,000 deaths occurred annually in the U.S. before the mid-1950s when polio vaccine was first widely used. Since then, general use of polio vaccines has nearly eliminated the disease, yet a few cases still occur among unprotected children. The polio vaccine most widely used in the U.S. is given by mouth. This series is started early in infancy. Several doses are needed to build up immunity. A booster dose is important for children entering school.
Measles is the most serious of the common childhood diseases. It causes deafness, blindness, convulsions or brain disorders once in every 1,000 cases. About 400 deaths were caused by measles annually in the U.S. before the mid-1960s when a vaccine became available. The measles vaccine is highly effective and produces long-lasting protection. It can be given to anyone but is generally recommended for children at an early age. It is usually given as a combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.
Mumps is a viral disease that causes swelling and pain of salivary glands in the face and neck. Childhood mumps may lead to deafness in one of every 300 to 400 cases, making it one of the leading causes of deafness in children. Another complication of mumps, usually temporary, is inflammation of the brain, from which most patients recover completely, but which may cause some permanent muscle weakness, seizures or brain disorders. Occasionally, the disease in males causes inflammation of the testicles. This is more likely to occur in adults than in young boys. The mumps vaccine is highly effective and produces long-lasting protection. It can be given to anyone but is generally recommended for children at an early age. It is usually given as a combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.
Rubella (German Measles) is a common, usually mild, infection of childhood. However, it can occur at any age and a pregnant woman who gets rubella may lose her baby or have one with deformities. The last major rubella epidemic in the U.S. was in 1964. Some 20,000 to 30,000 infants born a year later had severe congenital defects as a result of pregnant women contracting rubella. Another large epidemic was expected in the early 1970s but did not occur because of a wide scale vaccination of children. Reducing the chance that a woman who is pregnant will get rubella is a major benefit that comes from preventing rubella in children. Rubella vaccine is highly effective and produces long-lasting protection. It can be given to nearly anyone but is generally recommended for children at an early age. It is useful for older girls and women who are not immune, but it should not be given to pregnant women or to women who do not take safeguards against becoming pregnant for at least three months after vaccination. It is usually given as a combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is given as a combination vaccine that protects against all three diseases.
Haemophilus influenzae b is a bacterium (germ) that causes a number of infections in children, some very serious. By far the most serious is meningitis, an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Up to 10 percent of children who have meningitis may die. Of those who live, many may have permanent damage to the nervous system causing mental retardation. Children younger than five years of age are especially at risk for this disease. Haemophilus influenzae b can also cause ear, joint and skin infections, as well as pneumonia. It is estimated that Haemophilus influenzae b affects approximately one out of every 200 children before their fifth birthday.
Haemophilus influenzae b vaccine (HbCV) is available and the series is recommended to start early in infancy. Several doses are needed to build up immunity. All children in day care centers/Head Start centers are considered at high risk of developing this disease.
Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease that affects people of all ages. It is caused by a highly infectious virus that attacks the liver. Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can lead to severe illness, liver damage and in some cases, death.
There is no cure for hepatitis B, so prevention is crucial. A safe and effective vaccine has been used since 1982 to prevent hepatitis B. You cannot contract AIDS from getting the vaccine. Hepatitis B vaccine protects about 90 to 95 percent of the people receiving the shots and three doses are recommended for infants.
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