About the Diseases:MEASLES, MUMPS, AND RUBELLA (MMR)
Tetanus (lockjaw) and diphtheria are serious diseases. Tetanus is caused by a germ that enters the body through a cut or wound. Diphtheria spreads when germs pass from an infected person to the nose or throat of others.
Tetanus causes serious, painful spasms of all muscles and can lead to "locking" of the jaw so the patient cannot open his or her mouth or swallow, or death. Diphtheria causes a thick coating in the nose, throat, or airway and can lead to breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis, and death.About the Vaccines:
Vaccination is the best way to protect against tetanus and diphtheria. Because of vaccination, there are many fewer cases of these diseases. Cases are rare in children because most get DTP (Diphteria, Tetanus, and Pertussis), DTaP (Diphterhia, Tetanus, and acellular Pertussis), or DT (Diphtheria and Tetanus) vaccines. There would be many more cases if we stopped vaccinating people.When should you get Td vaccine:
Td is made for people 7 years of age and older. The centers for disease control recommends the first Td be given at age 11-12 years if it has been at least 5 years since their last DTP. After this, a Td is recommended once every 10 years throughout life. Other vaccines may be given at the same time as Td. Tell your doctor or nurse if the person getting the vaccine: 1) ever had a serious allergic reaction or other problem with Td, or any other tetanus and diphtheria vaccine (DTP, DTaP, or DT); 2) now has a moderate or severe illness; 3) is pregnant. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or nurse.What are the risks from Td vaccine:
As with any medicine, there are very small risks that serious problems, even death, could occur after getting a vaccine. The risks from the vaccine are much smaller than the risks from the diseases if people stopped using vaccine. Almost all people who get Td have no problems from it. Mild problems may occur within hours to a day or two after vaccination. They may last 1-2 days and consist of soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given. These problems can be worse in adults who get Td vaccine very often. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (non-aspirin) may be used to reduce soreness.Severe problems happen very rarely and may consist of serious allergic reaction or deep, aching pain and muscle wasting in upper arm(s). This starts 2 days to 4 weeks after the shot, and may last many months. If a serious reaction occurs, call a doctor or get the person to a doctor right away. Write down what happened and the date and time it happened. Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Report form or call: (800) 822-7967 (toll-free). The National Vaccine Injury Compensation program gives compensation (payment) for persons thought to be injured by vaccines. For details call: (800) 338-2382 (toll-free).
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About the diseases:Back To Top
Measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles) are serious diseases. They spread when germs pass from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. Measles causes rash, cough, and fever and can lead to ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, seizures (jerking and staring spells), brain damage, and death. Mumps causes fever, headache, and swollen glands under the jaw. It can lead to hearing loss, meningitis (infection of brain and spinal cord coverings), and painful, swollen testicles in males. Rubella causes rash, mild fever, swollen glands, arthritis (mostly in women) and miscarriage in pregnant women. Babies can be born with birth defects such as deafness, blindness, heart disease, brain damage, and other serious problems.Benefits of the vaccines:
Vaccination is the best way to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Because most children get the MMR vaccines, there are now many fewer cases of these diseases. There would be many more cases if we stopped vaccinating children.MMR schedule:
Most children should have a total of 2 MMR vaccines. They should have MMR at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-6 years of age or before middle school or junior high school.Who should get MMR vaccine:
Most doctors recommend that almost all young children get MMR vaccine. But there are some cautions. Tell your doctor or nurse if the person getting the vaccine is less able to fight serious infections because of a disease she/he was born with, treatment with drugs such as long-term steroids, any kind of cancer, or cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs. People with AIDs or HIV infection usually should get MMR vaccine. Pregnant women should wait until after pregnancy for MMR vaccine. People with a serious allergy to eggs or the drug neomycin should tell the doctor or nurse. If you are not sure, ask the doctor or nurse.Tell the doctor or nurse if the person getting the vaccine: 1) ever had a serious allergic reaction or other problem after getting MMR; 2) now has moderate or severe illness; 3) has ever had a seizure; 4) has a parent, brother, or sister who has had seizures; 5) has gotten immune globulin or other blood products (such as a transfusion) during the past several months. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or nurse.
What are the risks from MMR vaccine:
As with any medicine, there are very small risks that serious problems, even death, could occur after taking a vaccine. The risks from the vaccine are much smaller than the risks from the diseases if people stopped using vaccine. almost all people who get MMR have no problems from it.Mild or moderate problems can appear soon after the vaccination as a soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given. Also, 1-2 weeks after the first dose, there may be rash (5-15 out of every 100 doses), fever of 103 degrees or higher (5-15 out of every 100 doses). This usually lasts 1-2 days. There could also be swelling of the glands in the cheeks, neck, or under the jaw. A rare side effect is a seizure caused by fever. 1-3 weeks after the first dose, there may be some pain, stiffness, or swelling in one or more joints lasting up to 3 days (1 out of every 100 doses in children; up to 40 out of every 100 doses in young women). Rarely, pain or stiffness lasts a month or longer, or may come and go; this is most common in young and adult woman. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (non-asprin) may be used to reduce fever and soreness.
Severe problems happen very rarely and can be seen as serious allergic reactions, low number of platelets ( a type of blood cell) that can lead to bleeding problems. This is almost always temporary. Also, long seizures, decreased consciousness, or coma. Problems following MMR are much less common after the second dose.
What to do if there is a serious reaction:
Call a doctor or get the person to a doctor right away, write down what happened and the date and time it happened, ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Report form or call: (800) 822-7967 (toll-free)
Why get vaccinated:
Influenza is a serious disease. It is caused by a virus that spreads from infected persons to the nose or throat of others. The "influenza season" in the U.S. is from November to March or April of each year.Influenza vaccine can prevent Influenza.
Influenza can cause: Fever, cough, chills, sore throat, headache, and muscle aches. People of any age can get Influenza. Most people are ill with Influenza for only a few days, but some get much sicker and may need to be hospitalized. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, mostly the elderly.
The viruses that cause influenza change often. Because of this, influenza vaccine is updated every year by replacing at least one of the vaccine viruses with a new one. This is done to make sure the vaccine is as up-to-date as possible. Protection develops 1 to 2 weeks after the shot and may last up to a year.Who should get the vaccine?
People at risk for getting a serious case of influenza or complications - or people in close contact with them should get the vaccine.These include:
- Everyone 65 yrs. of age or older,
- Residents of long term care facilities housing persons with chronic medical conditions,
- Anyone who has serious long term health problems,
- Anyone whose immune system is weakened,
- Anyone who is 6 to 18 years of age who is on aspirin treatment,
- Women who will be more than three months pregnant during the season,
- Physicians, nurses, or anyone else coming in close contact with people at risk of serious influenza.
When should I get a vaccine?
The best time to get one is the time between September and December. A new shot is needed each year ( 9+ yrs of age one shot; 9- yrs of age two shots, one month apart). Influenza vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines, including pneumococcal vaccine.Can I get influenza even though I get the vaccine this year?
Yes. Influenza viruses change often, and they might not always be covered by the vaccine. But people who do get influenza despite getting vaccinated often have a milder case than those who did not get the shot. Also, to many people "the flu" is any illness with fever and cold symptoms. They may expect influenza vaccine to prevent these illnesses. But influenza vaccine only effective against illnesses caused by influenza viruses, not against other causes of cold and fever.Some people should consult a doctor
Consult with a doctor before getting an influenza vaccine if you: have a serious allergic reaction to eggs or a previous dose of vaccine, have a history of GBS. If you are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled you should usually wait until you recover before getting the shot. Talk to your doctor or nurse about rescheduling the vaccine.What are the risks from the vaccine?
A vaccine, like any other medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, is extremely small. Almost all people who get the vaccine have no serious problems from it. The viruses in it are killed, so you can not get influenza from the vaccine.Mild Problems:
- soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given;
- fever;
- aches.
If these problems occur, they soon begin after the shot and last 1-2 days.
Severe Problems:
- Life threatening problems are very rare;
- Paralytic illness GBS.
What if there is a moderate or severe reaction?
What should I look for?
Any unusual condition, such as high fever behavior changes;
What should I do?
- Call a doctor or get the person to a doctor immediately;
- Tell the doctor what, when, and where it happened.
- Call 1-800-822-7967 and report the incident.
ForMore Information:
Call 1-800-232-2522 (for English)
Call 1-800-232-0233 (para Espanol)
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Risks of the disease:
The first stage of it may lead to:
- loss of desire to eat
- feeling tired
- pains in muscles, joints, or stomach
- diarrhea or vomiting
- yellow skin or eyes
- DEATH
Long-lasting with the infection:
-destroys the liver
- leads to liver cancer
- causes death
Each year in the U.S.A.:
-150,000 people get hepatitis B
- More than 11,000 have to stay in the hospital for care
- 4,000 to 5,000 die from hepatitis B.
How is it spread?
Hepatitis B is carried in the blood and body fluids of an infected person. It can pass through tiny breaks in the skin, mouth, vagina, or penis. A person can get infected in several ways, such as:- During birth when the mother passes the virus along to the baby;
- By having sex with an infected person;
- By being stuck with a used needle;
-By sharing personal items, such as a comb or toothbrush.
People can spread hepatitis B virus without even knowing they have it.
About the vaccine
Benefits of the vaccine
Vaccination is the best way to protect against infection.
Hepatitis B vaccine schedule
Most people should get 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine. If you miss a dose or get behind schedule, get the next dose as soon as you can. There is no need to start over. Other vaccines may be given at the same time as hepatitis B vaccine.Age for Hepatitis B Vaccine
| Dose # | Infant whose mother has hepatitis B | Infant whose mother doesn't have virus | Other recommended age groups |
| 1 | Within 12 hrs. of birth | Birth - 2 months | Now |
| 2 | 1 - 2 months of age (1 mo. after #1) | 1 - 4 months of age (1 mo. after #1) | 1 - month after #1 |
| 3 | 6 months of age | 8 - 18 months of age | 4 - 6 months after #1 |
Who should get hepatitis B vaccine?
1. Most infants;
2. Children 10 years of age and younger whose parents are from
parts of the world where hepatitis B is common;
3. Pre-teens and teens who did not get the vaccine already;
4. Adults at risk.
Ask your doctor or nurse if you should get the vaccine.
Tell your doctor or nurse if the person getting the vaccine:
- ever had a serious allergic reaction to:
- hepatitis B vaccine;
- common baker's yeast.
- currently has a moderate or serious illness.
If you are not sure, ask your doctor or nurse.
What are the risks from hepatitis B vaccine?
Hepatitis B vaccine is one of the safest vaccines.
As with any other any medicine, there is a very small risk that serious problems, even death, could occur after getting the vaccine.Getting the disease is much more likely to cause serious illness than the vaccine.
Mild problems
-soreness where the shot was given
- mild to moderate fever.
Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (not aspirin) may be used to reduce the fever.
Severe problems
-serious allergic reaction is very rare.
What to do if there is a serious reaction:
-Call a doctor or get the person to the doctor right away
Back To TopPolio
Why get vaccinated?
Polio is a disease. It can paralyze (make arms and legs unable to move) or even cause death. Polio vaccine prevents polio. Before polio vaccine, thousands of our children got polio every year. Polio vaccine is helping to rid the world of polio. When that happens, no one will ever get polio again, and we will not need polio vaccine.
There are 2 kinds of polio vaccine.
IPV: inactivated polio vaccine; a shot.
OPV: oral polio vaccine; drops by mouth.
Which vaccines should my child get and when?
Most children get 4 doses of polio vaccine at these ages: 2 mo., 4 mo, 12-18 mo., 4-6 yrs. In Jan. 2000, the CDC recommended the use IPV only for Polio immunizations.
What are the risks and advantages of each choice?
Almost all children who complete the schedule will be protected from polio. As with any medicine, vaccines carry a small risk of serious harm, such as a severe allergic reaction (hives, difficulty breathing, shock) or even death. On rare occasions, OPV can cause polio because it contains live but weakened, polio virus. IPV cannot cause polio because it doesn't contain live virus.
Most people have no problems from either OPV or IPV.
Risk from IPV
Risk of mild soreness of the arm or leg where the shots were given. Also not as good as OPV for protecting the community from polio outbreaks.The advantage of the shots not causing polio is a plus.
Risk from OPV
It causes about 8 cases of polio a year. (At least 15 million doses have been given each year in the U.S.) This can happen to children who get OPV or people who are in close contact with them. The risk of polio is higher with the first dose than with later doses. You take no shots and can best protect the community from polio outbreaks.
Some children should get only shots and some should get only drops.
Do NOT use OPV drops if your child, you, or anyone you know who takes care of your child: Can't fight infection, is taking long term steroids, has cancer, has AIDS or HIV infection. DO NOT use OPV drops, if you or anyone who takes care of your child never had polio vaccine. DO NOT use IPV shots if your child is allergic to the drugs neomycin, streptomycin, or polymyxin B.Some children should not get these vaccines or should wait
Tell your doctor or nurse if your child ever had a serious reaction after getting polio vaccine or now has a moderate or serious illness.What if there is a serious reaction?
Look up above this for some possible risks.
Call the doctor or get the person to a doctor right away. Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the vaccination was given.Tuberculosis
It's an illness that harms the lungs. It can also harm other parts of the body. TB is caused by a germ that's spread through the air. Some people with TB don't look or feel sick. Their TB germs are inactive or dormant. The germs may stay that way for a short time -- or for years.If the TB germs become active, the person may cough a lot, feel weak, have a fever, lose weight, cough up blood, sweat a lot at night. A person with TB can pass it to others; here's how. TB germs can get into the air when someone who has active TB coughs, sneezes, laughs, sings, or talks.
You can breathe in germs if you live with someone who has active TB who is not getting proper treatment and/or have frequent, close contact with some with active TB who is not getting proper treatment.
For example, you should get the skin test if you live with someone who has active TB or have close contact; have HIV; have any signs of active TB; live or work in a hospital, prison, shelter, etc.; came from a country where TB is common; shoot drugs.You will get an injection in between the skin layers and must have your skin test checked in 2-3 days.
A negative result means you probably don't have TB; A positive result means you have been exposed to TB and you need medical follow up.Tell your doctor or nurse if you have HIV.
If you have been exposed to TB, you may need a chest X-ray and other tests. These tests will tell your doctor if you need medicine and what kind and whether your TB germs are active or not.Back to Health Center