Public Information - Vaccine Descriptions
DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) Vaccine
Diphtheria causes a thick coating in the nose, throat, or airway. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death.
Tetanus (lockjaw) causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to (locking) of the jaw so the person cannot open his mouth or swallow. Tetanus can lead to death. Pertussis (whooping cough) causes coughing spells so bad that it is hard for infants to eat, drink, or breathe. These can last for weeks. It can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death. Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine prevent these diseases. DTaP is recommended at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, between 15 to 18 months and ages 4 to 6.
Tetanus and Diptheria Vaccine (Td)
Tetanus is caused by a germ that enters the body through a cut or wound. Tetanus causes serious, painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to : 'locking' of the jaw so the patient cannot open his or her mouth or swallow. Diphtheria spreads when germs pass from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. Diphtheria causes a thick coating in the nose, throat, or airway. It can lead to: breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis, or death. There would be many more cases if we stopped vaccinating people. Td vaccine is recommended 7 years after the last DTaP and then every 10 years throughout life.
TdaP
Tetanus (lockjaw) causes painful muscle spasms, usually all over the body.
- It can lead to tightening of the jaw muscles so the victim cannot open his mouth or swallow. Tetanus kills about 1 out of 5 people who are infected.
Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat.
- It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death.
Pertussis (whooping cough) causes severe coughing spells, vomiting, and disturbed sleep.
- It can lead to weight loss, incontinence, rib fractures and passing out from violent coughing. Up to 2 in 100 adolescents and 5 in 100 adults with pertussis are hospitalized or have complications, including pneumonia.
These three diseases are all caused by bacteria. Diphtheria and pertussis are spread from person to person. Tetanus enters the body through cuts, scratches, or wounds.
Routine: Adolescents 11 through 18
- A dose of Tdap is recommended for adolescents who have not yet gotten a booster dose of Td. The preferred age is 11-12.
Routine: Adults 19 and Older
- All adults should get a booster dose of Td every 10 years.
- Adults under 65 who expect to have close contact with an infant younger than 12 months of age (including women who may become pregnant) should get a dose of Tdap. Waiting at least 2 years since the last dose of Td is suggested, but not required.
- New mothers who have never gotten Tdap should get a dose as soon as possible after delivery.
Hepatitis B Vaccine
The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause short-term (acute) illness that leads to: loss of appetite, tiredness, pain in muscles, joints and stomach, diarrhea and vomiting and jaundice (yellow skin or eyes). It can also cause long-term (chronic) illness that leads to: liver damage, liver cancer and death. Hepatitis B vaccine can prevent Hepatitis B. The 1st dose of Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended at ages birth to 2 months, the 2nd dose at 1 month to 4 months, and the 3rd dose between ages 6 months and 18 months depending on the age at the time of the first dose
Hepatitis A Vaccine
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the stool of persons with Hepatitis A infection. It is usually spread by close personal contact and sometimes by eating food or drinking water containing HAV. Hepatitis A infection can cause: mild 'flu-like' illness, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes) and severe stomach pains and diarrhea. People with Hepatitis A infection often have to be hospitalized and in rare cases, it causes death. A person who has Hepatitis A can easily pass the disease to others in the same household. Hepatitis A vaccine can prevent Hepatitis A infection. This vaccine is given in 2 doses, six months apart
Chickenpox Vaccine
Chickenpox (also called varicella) is a common childhood disease. It is usually mild, but it can be serious, especially in young infants and adults. Chicken pox causes a rash, itching, fever, and tiredness. It can lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage, or death. A person who has had chickenpox can get a painful rash called shingles years later. Chickenpox vaccine can prevent chickenpox. Most people who get chickenpox vaccine will not get chickenpox. Chicken pox vaccine is recommended at age 12 months and a second dose at 4-6 years of age.
MMR Vaccine
The Measles virus causes a rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, and fever. It can lead to ear infection, pneumonia, seizures (jerking and staring), and death. The Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands. It can lead to deafness, meningitis, painful swelling of the testes or ovaries, and, rarely, death. The Rubella virus causes rash, mild fever, and arthritis (mostly in women). If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth defects. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent these diseases. One dose of MMR vaccine is recommended at ages 12 to 15 months and another dose at 4 to 6 years.
Polio Vaccine (Inactivated)
Polio is a disease caused by a virus. It enters a child's (or adult's) body through the mouth. Sometimes it does not cause serious illness. But sometimes it causes paralysis (can't move arm or leg). Polio can kill people who get it, usually by paralyzing the muscles that help them breathe. Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) can prevent polio and is recommended at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 to18 months and between 4 to 6 years.
Meningococcal Vaccine
Anyone can get meningococcal disease. It is most common in infants less than one year of age, and in people with certain medical conditions. College freshmen, particularly those who live in dormitories, have a slightly increased risk of getting meningococcal disease. Meningococcal vaccine is not effective in preventing all types of the disease. About 1 out of every 10 people who get the disease dies from it, and many others are affected for life. It is important that people with the highest risk for meningococcal disease get the vaccine. For people 11 years of age and over: 1 dose of meningococcal vaccine is recommended.
Genital Human Papillomavirus (PHV)
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States.
There are about 40 types of HPV. About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. HPV is spread through sexual contact.
Most HPV infections don't cause any symptoms, and go away on their own. But HPV is important mainly because it can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S. about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world.
HPV i s also associated with several less common types of cancer in both men and women. It can also cause genital warts and warts in the upper respiratory tract.
More than 50% of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at sometime in their lives.
There is no treatment for HPV infection, but the conditions it causes can be treated.
Routine Vaccination
- HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for girls 11-12 years of age. Doctors may give it to girls as young as 9 years.
Why is HPV vaccine given to girls at this age? It is important for girls to get HPV vaccine before their first sexual contact - because they have not been exposed to HPV. For these girls, the vaccine can prevent almost 100% of disease caused by the 4 types of HPV targeted by the vaccine.
However, if a girl or woman is already infected with a type of HPV, the vaccine will not prevent disease from that type.
Catch-Up Vaccination
The vaccine is also recommended for girls and women 13-26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger.
HPV vaccine is given as a 3-dose series:
1st Dose: Now
2nd Dose: 2 months after Dose 1
3rd Dose: 6 months after Dose
Additional (booster) doses are not recommended.
HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.
Influenza Vaccine
Influenza ('flu') is a serious disease. It is caused by a virus that spreads from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. Influenza can cause: fever, cough, sore throat, headache, chills and muscle aches. Anyone can get influenza. Most people are ill with influenza for only a few days, but some get much sicker and need to be hospitalized. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, mostly among the elderly. Influenza vaccine can prevent influenza. The influenza vaccine is given yearly in the fall.
Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib) Vaccine
Your child can get Hib disease by being around other children or adults who have the bacteria. Before this vaccine, Hib disease was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children under 5 years of age in the United States. Hib disease can also cause: pneumonia, severe swelling in the throat, infections of the blood, joints, bones, and covering of the heart and death. Before Hib vaccine, about 20,000 children in the United States under 5 years old got severe Hib disease each year. Hib vaccine is recommended at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12 to 15 months. Some Hib vaccine formulations require 3 doses, and others require 4 doses.
Pneumococcal Vaccine
Each year pneumococcal infection causes severe disease in children under 5 years old: over 700 cases of meningitis, 13,000 blood infections, and about 5 million ear infections. Children under 2 years old are at highest risk for this disease. Pneumococcal infections can be hard to treat because the bacteria have become resistant to some of the drugs used to treat them in the past. This makes prevention of pneumococcal infections even more important. Ear infections have many causes, and pneumococcal vaccine is effective against only some of them. Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12 to 15 months. Pneumococcal vaccine is a new requirement for day cares which began during the 2008-09 school year.
Zostavax (Shingles) Vaccine
Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster.
A shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and lasts from 2 to 4 weeks. Its main symptom is pain, which can be quite severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach. Very rarely, a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis) or death.
For about 1 person in 5, severe pain can continue even after the rash clears up. This is called post-herpetic neuralgia.
Shingles is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Only someone who has had a case of chickenpox - or gotten chickenpox vaccine - can get shingles. The virus stays in your body. It can reappear many years later to cause a case of shingles.
You can't catch shingles from another person with shingles. However, a person who has never had chickenpox (or chickenpox vaccine) could get chickenpox from someone with shingles. This is not very common.
Shingles is far more common in people 50 and older than in younger people. It is also more common in people whose immune systems are weakened because of a disease such as cancer, or drugs such as steroids or chemotherapy. At least 1 million people a year in the United States get shingles.
A single dose of shingles vaccine is indicated for adults 60 years of age and older.