DTaP vaccine can prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
Diphtheria and pertussis spread from person to person. Tetanus enters the body through cuts or wounds.
DIPHTHERIA (D) can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death.
TETANUS (T) causes painful stiffening of the muscles. Tetanus can lead to serious health problems, including being unable to open the mouth, having trouble swallowing and breathing, or death.
PERTUSSIS (aP), also known as “whooping cough,” can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing which makes it hard to breathe, eat, or drink. Pertussis can be extremely serious in babies and young children, causing pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage, or death. In teens and adults, it can cause weight loss, loss of bladder control, passing out, and rib fractures from severe coughing.
DTaP vaccine
DTaP is only for children younger than 7 years old. Different vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap and Td) are available for older children, adolescents, and adults.
It is recommended that children receive 5 doses of DTaP, usually at the following ages:
2 months
4 months
6 months
15–18 months
4–6 years
DTaP may be given as a stand-alone vaccine, or as part of a combination vaccine (a type of vaccine that combines more than one vaccine together into one shot).
DTaP may be given at the same time as other vaccines.
Talk with your health care provider
Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the vaccine:
Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of any vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, or pertussis, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies.
Has had a coma, decreased level of consciousness, or prolonged seizures within 7 days after a previous dose of any pertussis vaccine (DTP or DTaP).
Has seizures or another nervous system problem.
Has ever had Guillain-Barré Syndrome (also called GBS).
Has had severe pain or swelling after a previous dose of any vaccine that protects against tetanus or diphtheria.
In some cases, your child’s health care provider may decide to postpone DTaP vaccination to a future visit.
Children with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. Children who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting DTaP.
Your child’s health care provider can give you more information.
Risks of a vaccine reaction
Soreness or swelling where the shot was given, fever, fussiness, feeling tired, loss of appetite, and vomiting sometimes happen after DTaP vaccination.
More serious reactions, such as seizures, non-stop crying for 3 hours or more, or high fever (over 105°F) after DTaP vaccination happen much less often. Rarely, the vaccine is followed by swelling of the entire arm or leg, especially in older children when they receive their fourth or fifth dose.
Very rarely, long-term seizures, coma, lowered consciousness, or permanent brain damage may happen after DTaP vaccination.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
What if there is a serious problem?
An allergic reaction could occur after the vaccinated person leaves the clinic. If you see signs of a severe allergic reaction (hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, or weakness), call 9-1-1 and get the person to the nearest hospital.
For other signs that concern you, call your health care provider.
Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your health care provider will usually file this report, or you can do it yourself. Visit the VAERS websiteexternal icon or call 1-800-822-7967. VAERS is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff do not give medical advice.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines. Visit the VICP websiteexternal icon or call 1-800-338-2382 to learn about the program and about filing a claim. There is a time limit to file a claim for compensation.
Q1: Who decides what immunizations children need?
A: Each year, top disease experts and doctors who care for children work together to decide which vaccines to recommend that will best protect U.S. children from diseases. The schedule is evaluated each year based on the most recent scientific data available. Changes are announced in January, if needed. The schedule is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Q2: How are the timing and spacing of the shots determined?
A: The timing for each dose of a vaccine is based on 2 factors. First, scientists determine the age when the body’s immune system will provide optimal protection after vaccination. Second, that information is balanced with the need to provide protection to infants, children and adolescents at the earliest possible time based on the highest age of risk for that disease.
Q3: Why do some vaccines need 3 or more doses?
A: Researchers are always studying how long a vaccine will provide protection. For some vaccines three or four doses are needed to fully protect your child. The doses need to be spaced out a specific amount of time to work best.
Q4: Why is there only one recommended schedule for all children? Are there some children who shouldn’t receive some vaccines?
A: Your child’s health and safety are very important to your child’s doctor. The schedule is considered the ideal schedule for healthy children but rarely, there may be exceptions.
For example, your child might not receive certain vaccines if she has a weakened immune system due to a chronic condition like leukemia or is taking certain medicines that weaken the immune system. Sometimes a shot needs to be delayed for a short time, and sometimes not given at all. Your pediatrician stays updated about any changes to the immunization schedule. This is one reason your child’s complete medical history is taken at the pediatrician’s office.
Q5: Can the shots be spread out over a longer period of time?
A: First, you would not want your child to go unprotected that long. Of all age groups, young babies are hospitalized and die more often from the diseases we are trying to prevent with vaccines, so it is important to vaccinate them as soon as possible. Second, the recommended schedule is designed to work best with a child’s immune system at certain ages and at specific time intervals between doses. There is no research to show that a child would be equally protected against diseases with a very different schedule. Also, there is no scientific reason why spreading out the shots would be safer. But we do know that any length of time without immunizations is a time without protection against vaccine preventable diseases.
Q6: I’ve seen another schedule that allows the shots to be spread out. Can I follow that schedule if my child would still be vaccinated in time for school?
A: There is no scientific basis for such “alternative” schedules. No one knows how well they would work to protect your child from diseases. And if many parents in any community decided to follow an alternative schedule, diseases will be able to spread much more quickly. Also, people who are too sick or too young to receive vaccines are placed at risk when they are around unvaccinated children.
For example, following one nonstandard schedule would leave children without full polio protection until age 4. Yet it would take only one case of polio to be brought into the U.S. for the disease to take hold again in this country. These alternative schedules also often delay the measles vaccine until age 3 or later. We have already seen outbreaks of measles in some parts of the country because children were not immunized. This is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious harm–even death. The reason we recommend vaccines when we do is because young children are more vulnerable to these diseases.
Pediatricians want parents to have reliable, complete, and science-based information, so that they can make the best decision for their child about vaccination. Unfortunately, there are a few pediatricians in the country who go against the existing science, often for personal gain, such as selling books, or advertisements on their websites. The overwhelming majority of pediatricians in the US strongly recommend following the recommended schedule.
Q7: Is it possible that my child has natural immunity to one or more of these diseases? If so, can we skip the shots?
A: Tests that check for immunity to certain diseases do not work well in young children. The best way to know that children are protected is to immunize them.
Q8: Does it overwhelm a child’s immune system to give multiple shots in one visit?
A: Infants and children are exposed to many germs every day just by playing, eating, and breathing. Their immune systems fight those germs, also called antigens, to keep the body healthy. The amount of antigens that children fight every day (2,000-6,000) is much more than the antigens in any combination of vaccines on the current schedule (150 for the whole schedule). So children’s immune systems are not overwhelmed by vaccines.
Q9: There are no shots given at 9 months, other than maybe influenza vaccine or catch-up vaccines. Could we give some shots at that visit instead of at 6 months or 12 months?
A: Waiting until 9 months would leave the child unprotected from some diseases, but 9 months is too early for some of the 12-18 month vaccines. For example, it is too early for the live measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccines, since some infants might have a bit of protection left from their mother during the pregnancy, and that protection could make the vaccine less effective.
While most people have survived chickenpox (varicella), before the vaccine, about 12,000 people were hospitalized for chickenpox every year. About 100 people died from the disease. The chickenpox vaccine protects most children from getting chickenpox. Since the vaccine was licensed in 1995, millions of doses have been given to children in the United States. Many studies show the vaccine is safe and effective. Research is being done to see how long protection from the vaccine lasts, and recently a booster dose at 4-6 years of age was added to the recommended schedule.
I got chickenpox and was fine. Why should my child receive the Varicella vaccine?
Chickenpox is a common childhood disease. It is usually mild, but sometimes can be very serious. Complications can include:
Pneumonia
Encephalitis (brain disease)
“Flesh-eating” bacterial infection
Death
If an immunized person gets chickenpox, the illness will be much milder than in a non-immunized person. Varicella vaccine protects children now and as adults, when they are more likely to die from chickenpox and its complications. It cuts down on days that a child might be absent from school or that a parent will have to miss work. There are only a few cases of disease today, but without vaccination that number will rise.
Will taking my child to a chickenpox party give her better immunity than the vaccine?
Exposing children to the disease does not guarantee they will get it, nor that they will have a mild case. No one can predict which child will have a life-threatening reaction to the disease. While “natural immunity” does tend to be better than “vaccine-induced immunity,” the high price of natural immunity is not a risk worth taking when a safe vaccine is available and effective.
Chickenpox can cause an itchy rash that usually lasts about a week. It can also cause fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, and headache. It can lead to skin infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the blood vessels, and swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord covering, and infections of the bloodstream, bone, or joints. Some people who get chickenpox get a painful rash called shingles (also known as herpes zoster) years later.
Chickenpox is usually mild but it can be serious in infants under 12 months of age, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and people with a weakened immune system. Some people get so sick that they need to be hospitalized. It doesn’t happen often, but people can die from chickenpox.
Most people who are vaccinated with 2 doses of varicella vaccine will be protected for life.
Varicella Vaccine
Children need 2 doses of varicella vaccine, usually:
First dose: 12 through 15 months of age
Second dose: 4 through 6 years of age
Olderchildren, adolescents, and adults also need 2 doses of varicella vaccine if they are not already immune to chickenpox.
Varicella vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines. Also, a child between 12 months and 12 years of age might receive varicella vaccine together with MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine in a single shot, known as MMRV. Your health care provider can give you more information.
Talk with your health care provider
Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the vaccine:
Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of varicella vaccine, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies.
Is pregnant, or thinks she might be pregnant.
Has a weakened immune system, or has a parent, brother, or sister with a history of hereditary or congenital immune system problems.
Is taking salicylates (such as aspirin).
Has recently had a blood transfusion or received other blood products.
Has tuberculosis
Has gotten any other vaccines in the past 4 weeks.
In some cases, your health care provider may decide to postpone varicella vaccination to a future visit.
People with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. People who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting varicella vaccine.
Your health care provider can give you more information.
Risks of a vaccine reaction
Sore arm from the injection, fever, or redness or rash where the shot is given can happen after varicella vaccine.
More serious reactions happen very rarely. These can include pneumonia, infection of the brain and/or spinal cord covering, or seizures that are often associated with fever.
In people with serious immune system problems, this vaccine may cause an infection which may be life-threatening. People with serious immune system problems should not get varicella vaccine.
It is possible for a vaccinated person to develop a rash. If this happens, the varicella vaccine virus could be spread to an unprotected person. Anyone who gets a rash should stay away from people with a weakened immune system and infants until the rash goes away. Talk with your health care provider to learn more.
Some people who are vaccinated against chickenpox get shingles (herpes zoster) years later. This is much less common after vaccination than after chickenpox disease.
People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
What if there is a serious problem?
An allergic reaction could occur after the vaccinated person leaves the clinic. If you see signs of a severe allergic reaction (hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, or weakness), call 9-1-1 and get the person to the nearest hospital.
For other signs that concern you, call your health care provider.
Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your health care provider will usually file this report, or you can do it yourself. Visit the VAERS website at or call 1-800-822-7967. VAERS is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff do not give medical advice.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines. Visit the VICP website at or call 1-800-338-2382 to learn about the program and about filing a claim. There is a time limit to file a claim for compensation.
Measles is not a mild disease. Neither is whooping cough, Hib meningitis, or rotavirus. These are diseases that cause parents to make worried middle-of-the-night phone calls to their doctor, race to the emergency department, and spend days nursing a sick and miserable child. And this suffering is completely avoidable with vaccines.
As a pediatrician, I recommend and do what is in the best interest of my patient based on the scientific evidence. As a parent, I do whatever I can to prevent illness in my child.
As a physician, giving parents the advice that it’s ok to skip vaccines, or that measles is not a big deal, is harmful and dangerous. It ignores the fact that immunizations are one of the most effective strategies we have for preventing disease.
To be perfectly clear, there is no “alternative” immunization schedule. Delaying vaccines only leaves a child at risk of disease for a longer period of time … it does not make vaccinating safer. There is no alternative if you want the optimal protection for your child.
Why This is Important:
The ability to prevent suffering is one of the things that mean the most to me as a pediatrician. My colleagues share this belief. I have heard from many pediatricians who are working exceptionally hard in their communities to protect our most vulnerable children from the real threat that these diseases pose.
Why Pediatricians Worry:
The science is overwhelming that vaccines are safe and effective. But pediatricians worry that parents’ doubts about vaccines will prevent families from getting their children the immunizations they need. We worry that parents won’t realize the urgency to vaccinate on time. We worry about families who lack access to medical care or transportation and fall behind on their child’s immunization schedule. These gaps in the shield of protection that immunizations provide leave our entire communities more vulnerable, including children who are too young to benefit from vaccines and those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical problems.
Because we worry about the children in our care, pediatricians spend hours each day counseling families and answering their questions about vaccines. A study published in Pediatrics surveyed more than 500 pediatricians across the country and found 93 percent of them have some parents in their practice who ask to spread out their child’s vaccines. Delaying vaccines puts these children at additional risk. The vast majority of pediatricians reported they continue to work with these families in hopes they will agree to timely vaccinations.
The Best Way to Protect Your Child:
The recommended schedule of immunizations has been researched and documented to be the most effective and safe way to protect children. The vaccines are carefully timed to provide protection when children are most vulnerable, and when the vaccines will produce the strongest response from the child’s immune system.
Each year, top disease experts—including pediatricians—work together to decide which vaccines to include in the Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for ages 18 Years or Younger.
The schedule is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and five other health care organizations. It is based on review of the most recent scientific data for each vaccine. To be on the recommended schedule, the vaccines must be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration.
The schedule also recommends the age when children and teens should receive each vaccine. Following this schedule gives children the best protection from diseases. To make the schedule more reader-friendly, it is split into two age groups:
Birth – 6 Years
7 – 18 Years
If you have questions about vaccines, don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician! They know your child’s health history and can talk with you about specific vaccines recommended.
Should all children and teens follow the same recommended vaccine schedule?
Yes. The schedule is considered the ideal schedule for healthy children. And there are very few, rare exceptions. For example, if your child has a chronic condition or takes medicine that weakens the immune system, they may need a booster dose or a different type of vaccine. Your pediatrician can discuss what approach is best.
A vaccine may be given in one or more doses.
The timing for each dose of a vaccine is based on:
what age a child’s immune system provides optimal protection after vaccination,
the earliest possible time to provide protection balanced with the age the child is at highest risk for a disease.
What if my child missed a shot or is behind schedule?
Getting your child vaccinated on the recommended schedule is the best way to protect them and keep them healthy. If your child misses a shot, you don’t need to start over. Call your pediatrician’s office, and they can schedule the next shot.
Can the shots be spread out over a longer period of time?
It’s not a good idea, for several reasons. Children need to get their vaccines on schedule so they can benefit from all the protection that vaccines give. Young babies are hospitalized and die more often from the diseases we are trying to prevent with vaccines, so it is important to vaccinate them as soon as possible.
Also, the recommended schedule is designed to work best with a child’s immune system at certain ages and at specific time intervals between doses. There is no research to show that a child would be equally protected against diseases with a very different schedule. Also, there is no scientific reason why spreading out the shots would be safer. But we do know that any length of time without immunizations is a time without protection against vaccine preventable diseases. Did you know? Researchers are always studying how long vaccine protection lasts, how many doses we need and how much time between doses works best. That is why your child may need the flu shot every year. But for another vaccine they have lifelong protection from two or more doses spaced months or years apart.
And, consider this: If many parents in a community decided to follow an alternative schedule, diseases will be able to spread much more quickly. Also, people who are too sick or too young to receive vaccines are placed at risk when they are around unvaccinated children.
Pediatricians want you to have reliable, complete and science-based information. This allows you to make the best decision for your child about vaccination. Unfortunately, there are a few doctors who go against the existing science, often for personal gain, such as selling books, or advertisements on their websites. The overwhelming majority of pediatricians in the United States strongly recommend following the recommended schedule.
Does it overwhelm a child’s immune system to give multiple shots in one visit?
No. We know vaccines are safe—including when multiple shots are given together. Researchers continue to study vaccines alongside other vaccines. Millions of children have safely received vaccines together. Infants and children are exposed to many germs every day. Their immune systems fight those germs, also called antigens, to keep the body healthy. The amount of antigens that children fight every day (2,000-6,000) is much more than the antigens in any combination of vaccines on the current schedule (150 for the whole schedule). So, children’s immune systems are not overwhelmed by vaccines.
Should my child get vaccines if they are sick?
If your child is sick, talk with your pediatrician. It may depend on if your child has mild sniffles or a mild cold, or if they have a more severe illness. Your pediatrician will be happy to talk with you about this.
Why does my child still need a vaccine if these diseases are mostly gone?
It is because of vaccines that children rarely get serious diseases like tetanus, measles, rubella, meningitis and polio. Only one disease, smallpox, has been eliminated completely by vaccines. We still need vaccines for the other diseases because they are only a plane ride away.
For example, the measles vaccine has worked very well in the U.S. for decades. In other parts of the world, fewer people have had measles shots and measles cases are still common.
Most years there are about 100 people in the U.S. who get measles. In 2019, more than 1,200 measles cases were reported in the U.S. Most of the people who got measles were not vaccinated. We cannot predict which children will have a mild case and who will have severe complications. That’s why we need to use every tool to protect children, including vaccines.
Can you get a disease from a vaccine?
No. The active ingredient used in vaccines may be a killed virus, a piece of a virus or bacteria, or in some cases, a weakened virus. Vaccines’ active ingredients work by teaching your body’s immune system how to recognize that disease. The actual amount of active ingredients in each vaccine is tiny. Your child encounters more germs and bacteria every day by crawling around the house, eating and breathing.
A vaccine does not cause illness in healthy people because the virus or bacteria in the vaccine is either dead or very, very weak. Instead, it teaches your child’s immune system how to create its own antibodies.
People with weakened immune systems: There are some vaccines that use a live, weakened virus. This type of vaccine very rarely can cause illness for people who have cancer or other autoimmune diseases. Their doctor may instead provide a different form of the vaccine or advise them to not get that one vaccine.
Do vaccines cause autism?
No, vaccines do not cause autism. Children get several vaccines between ages one and two. This is also the time some children start to show symptoms of autism. Although they happen around the same time, one does not cause the other. Science has confirmed that they are not related.
What if my child has a side effect from a vaccine?
Side effects are a normal and expected part of how vaccines work. A vaccine teaches your body’s immune system to recognize the virus or bacteria so you can build up your own immunity against that disease. Sometimes when you get a vaccine, you may get a low fever or your body aches. This is a sign your body’s immune system is working to get stronger. After the vaccine does its job, it quickly leaves your body. The side effects go away shortly, too.
Very rarely, reactions can occur from a vaccine. But the risk of the disease itself is far greater.
Remember
Call your pediatrician if you have any questions about vaccines. They can tell you what vaccines your child needs to stay healthy, and they know your child’s health history.
Immunization protects your child against these 14 diseases that were once common in the United States.
1. Polio
Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease that is caused by poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. Polio was eliminated in the United States with vaccination, and continued use of polio vaccine has kept this country polio-free. But, polio is still a threat in some other countries. Making sure that infants and children are vaccinated is the best way to prevent polio from returning. Make sure your baby is protected with the polio vaccine.
Doctors recommend that your child get four doses of the polio vaccine (also called IPV). Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 12-23 months, and 4-6 years.
2. Tetanus
Tetanus causes painful muscle stiffness and lockjaw and can be fatal. Parents used to warn kids about tetanus every time we scratched, scraped, poked, or sliced ourselves on something metal. Nowadays, the tetanus vaccine is part of a disease-fighting vaccine called DTaP, which provides protection against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Doctors recommend that your child get five doses of the DTaP shot for best protection. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12-23 months, and 4-6 years.
3. The Flu (Influenza)
Flu is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. Flu can affect people differently based on their immune system, age, and health. Did you know that flu can be dangerous for children of any age? Flu symptoms in children can include coughing, fever, aches, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Every year in the United States, otherwise healthy children are hospitalized or die from flu complications. CDC estimates that since 2010, flu-related hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years have ranged from 7,000 to 26,000 in the United States.
It’s important to know that children younger than 6 months are more likely to end up in the hospital from flu, but are too young to get a flu vaccine. The best way to protect babies against flu is for the mother to get a flu vaccine during pregnancy and for all caregivers and close contacts of the infant to be vaccinated. Everyone 6 months and older needs a flu vaccine every year.
Doctors recommend that your child get the flu vaccine every year starting when they are 6 months old. Children younger than 9 years old who are getting vaccinated for the first time need two doses of flu vaccine, spaced at least 28 days apart.
4. Hepatitis B
Did you know that worldwide more than 780,000 people per year die from complications to Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is spread through blood or other bodily fluids. It’s especially dangerous for babies, since the hepatitis B virus can spread from an infected mother to child during birth. About nine out of every 10 infants who contract it from their mothers become chronically infected, which is why babies should get the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth. All pregnant women should be tested and all babies should be vaccinated.
Doctors recommend that your child get three doses of the Hepatitis B shot for best protection. Typically, your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: shortly after birth, 1-2 months, and 6 months.
5. Hepatitis A
The Hepatitis A vaccine was developed in 1995 and since then has cut the number of cases dramatically in the United States. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease and is transmitted through person-to-person contact or through contaminated food and water. Vaccinating against hepatitis A is a good way to help your baby stay Hep A-free and healthy!
Doctors recommend that your child get two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 12-23 months and 6 months after the last dose.
6. Rubella
Rubella is spread by coughing and sneezing. It is especially dangerous for a pregnant woman and her developing baby. If an unvaccinated pregnant woman gets infected with rubella, she can have a miscarriage or her baby could die just after birth. Also, she can pass the disease to her developing baby who can develop serious birth defects. Make sure you and your child are protected from rubella by getting vaccinated on schedule.
Doctors recommend that your child get two shots of the MMR vaccine. Your child should get one dose at each of the following ages: 12-23 months and 4-6 years.
7. Hib
Hib (or its official name, Haemophilus influenzae type b) isn’t as well-known as some of the other diseases, thanks to vaccines. Hib can do some serious damage to a child’s immune systems and cause brain damage, hearing loss, or even death. Hib mostly affects kids under five years old. Before the vaccine, over 20,000 kids were infected each year. That’s about 400 yellow school busses worth of kids! Of these kids, one in five suffered brain damage or became deaf. Even with treatment, as many as one out of 20 kids with Hib meningitis dies. Get your child vaccinated to help them beat the odds!
Doctors recommend that your child get four doses of the Hib vaccine. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months (for some brands), and 12-23 months.
8. Measles
Did you know your child can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left? Measles is very contagious, and it can be serious, especially for young children. Because measles is common in other parts of the world, unvaccinated people can get measles while traveling and bring it into the United States. Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk, so make sure to stay up to date on your child’s vaccines.
Doctors recommend that your child get two doses of the MMR vaccine. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 12-23 months and 4-6 years.
Infants 6 to 11 months old should have one dose of the MMR shot before traveling abroad. Infants vaccinated before 12 months of age should be revaccinated on or after their first birthday with two doses, each dose separated by at least 28 days.
9. Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious disease that can be deadly for babies. Whooping cough can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing, which often makes it hard to breathe. Its “whooping” name comes from the sharp breath intake sound right after a coughing fit. In babies, this disease also can cause life-threatening pauses in breathing with no cough at all. Whooping cough is especially dangerous to babies who are too young to be vaccinated themselves. Mothers should get the whooping cough vaccine during each pregnancy to pass some protection to their babies before birth. It is very important for your baby to get the whooping cough vaccine on time so he can start building his own protection against the disease. Since 2010, between 15,000 and 50,000 cases of whooping cough were reported each year in the United States, with cases reported in every state.
Doctors recommend that your child get five doses of the DTaP vaccine. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12-23 months, and 4-6 years.
10. Pneumococcal Disease
This disease is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. It causes ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia, and even meningitis, making it very dangerous for children. The germs can invade parts of the body—like the brain or spinal cord—that are normally free from germs. Make sure you keep kids safe from this dangerous disease by vaccinating.
Doctors recommend that your child get four doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (also called PCV13). One dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12-23 months.
11. Rotavirus
Rotavirus is contagious and can cause severe watery diarrhea, often with vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain, mostly in infants and young children. Children can become severely dehydrated from the disease and need to be hospitalized. If a dehydrated child does not get needed care, they could die. Rotavirus is one of the first vaccines an infant can get; it’s the best way to protect your child from rotavirus disease.
Doctors recommend that your child get two or three doses of the vaccine (depending on the brand) at 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months (if get the RotaTeq vaccine).
12. Mumps
Mumps is best known for causing puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw. This is due to swelling of the salivary glands. Other symptoms include fever, head and muscle aches, and tiredness. Mumps is a contagious disease and there is no treatment. Mumps is still a threat today—every year, people in the United States get mumps. In recent years, mumps outbreaks have occurred in settings where there was close, extended contact with infected people, such as being in the same classroom or playing on the same sports team. The MMR vaccine protects you and your family against mumps, measles, and rubella.
Doctors recommend that your child get two doses of the MMR shot Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 12-23 months and 4-6 years.
13. Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a disease that causes an itchy rash of blisters and a fever. A person with chickenpox may have a lot of blisters—as many as 500 all over their body. Chickenpox can be serious and even life-threatening, especially in babies, adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Even healthy children can get really sick. Vaccinating kids at an early age is especially important to keep your children healthy.
Doctors recommend that your child get two chickenpox shots. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 12-23 months and 4-6 years
14. Diphtheria
Most of us only know diphtheria as an obscure disease from long ago, thanks to the diphtheria vaccine babies get. This vaccine, called DTaP, provides protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). While preventable, diphtheria does still exist. It can cause a thick covering in the back of the nose or throat that makes it hard to breathe or swallow. Diphtheria can also lead to heart failure, paralysis, and even death. Make sure to vaccinate to help keep this dangerous infection from your kids.
Doctors recommend that your child get five doses of the DTaP vaccine. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages: 1-2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12-23 months, and 4-6 years.
