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What are vaccines?
When viruses, bacteria, or parasites enter the body, the body fights back. We fight back against these unwanted visitors with the help of our immune system. A healthy immune response quickly produces something called antibodies to attack the invading bodies. These antibodies are catalogued in the immune system’s memory so that the next time that virus, bacteria, or parasite enters your body, you can quickly produce the antibody needed to fight it off. You will probably never even know that you had a foreign substance in your body. A vaccine is either an injection or a pill that imitates an infection by a specific disease. This triggers the immune response to create antibodies against the disease. That way, if you are ever really exposed to it, your body can fight it off before you even sense symptoms.

Why are vaccines important?
The importance of immunizations is immeasurable. Vaccinations not only protect your child from several scary and possibly life-threatening diseases, but they also make sure your child cannot spread these diseases to others. While it may seem like polio and measles are diseases of the past, this is far from true.  Any breakdown in our immunization efforts will allow them to re-emerge. Also, while they are relatively rare in the U.S., outbreaks around the world continue. Although a disease like polio has been eradicated (wiped out) in the Americas, travelers from abroad could carry an infection back to the States. Any person who has not been vaccinated against the disease could easily become infected. This is why we must continue to immunize our children and ourselves. There are also some diseases, like chickenpox, that are still quite common in the U.S. despite the fact that there is a vaccine to prevent it. Children who are not immunized against chicken pox will probably get it. Even more at risk are the adults who neither had chickenpox as children nor received an immunization. Cases of chicken pox in adults are much more serious than in children.

Vaccines also save us money in the long run. Every time your child is sick, not only does your child miss school, but you also miss work. Include this with the savings from not having to buy extra medication or visit the doctor, and it more than makes up for the price of the vaccine.

Are vaccines safe?
The risk involved in vaccinating is far less than the gain received by protecting your child against highly infectious and often fatal diseases. Occasionally, your child might feel some side effects after receiving a vaccine. Sore or red arms, slight fever, mild drowsiness and crankiness are all normal side effects from vaccines. These usually only last for a day or two. More serious side effects can occur, but they are extremely rare. Side effects vary according to the type of vaccine your child is receiving. For more information on vaccine safety you can visit the CDC’s National Immunization Program web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/default.htm or call the National Immunization Hotline at 1-800-232-2522 (English) or 1-800-232-0233 (Spanish).

• 3 vaccinations against hepatitis B
• 4 vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
• 4 vaccinations against Hib (H. Influenzae type b)
• 3 vaccinations against polio
• 1 vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• 1 vaccination against varicella
• 4 vaccinations against pneumococcal disease
• Influenza vaccine: the influenza vaccine is recommended yearly for children over 6 months old, with some exceptions. Ask your pediatrician.
• Hepatitis A vaccine: the hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children in certain states and regions. Ask your pediatrician.

This chart is also available in Spanish at http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/inmunizacion/NIP2003ChildAdolesImmSchd-s.pdf.

If you are traveling
If you are planning on traveling overseas with your child, make sure you know which vaccinations you need before you leave. Depending on where you are traveling, extra vaccinations may be recommended. For instance, the rabies vaccine is recommended for anyone spending more than 30 days in an area where rabies is common. Vaccines should be given at least one month before you leave. When you travel, take your and your child’s immunization records with you. If you are not sure which immunizations you need, you can call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 24 hour International Traveler’s Hotline at (404) 332-4559, or visit the CDC’s “Traveling with Children” web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/child_travel.htm.

Helpful hints for surviving the vaccination process
Who dreads vaccinations more—you or your child? While it is an extremely important event, it can be scary for your child and difficult for you, too. There are a few things you can do to make the experience as painless as possible.

• Be calm.The more anxious you are, the more scared your child will be.
• If you are taking an older child in for a shot, prepare your child for what is going to happen. Explain why it is important to be vaccinated. Thirty seconds of discomfort will keep your child much healthier for a lifetime.
• If you are with a younger child, tell him that it is okay to cry (most children do), but to try to be brave and hold still.
• The anticipation is usually worse than the actual event. The shots may look menacing, but they are usually not very painful, and they are over before you know it.
• If you can distract your child during the injection (tell a story, look at pictures, sing a song), most children will not even feel it take place.
• Treat yourself and your child after the doctor’s visit. Go out to lunch, make cookies, take a trip to a park or playground, or do another activity together to make the day special.

For more information
There are many web sites you can look at to find more specific information on vaccines. However, when researching immunizations on the web, be aware of sites that do not take responsibility for the information posted. Despite vaccines’ proven health benefits and low risk factors, some sites will try to tell you that immunizations are either unsafe or unnecessary. Make sure that the information has well-known scientific references. We recommend the following sites for finding more information about vaccines for you and your child.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The AAP web site tells and shows the importance of immunizations with fact sheets and pictures of children struck by these devastating but preventable childhood diseases.Their site also includes fact sheets on different diseases, as well as links to many other sites on vaccinations. http://www.aap.org/new/immpublic.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC's National Immunization Program is one of the leaders in vaccine research, development, and safety.  Their site can answer all kinds of questions on different types of vaccines, when and why to get them, what side effects they might have, who should not be vaccinated, 10 things you should know about vaccinations, traveler’s health, and more.
www.cdc.gov/nip

Every Child By Two
Every Child By Two is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of vaccinating children under 2 years of age. Their site includes a parents guide to childhood vaccinations, as well as information on the diseases and information on immunization registries.
http://www.ecbt.org

Immunization Action Coalition
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to boosting immunization rates, preventing disease, and raising awareness.  Their site contains a lot of helpful information, including state immunization laws, state health department web sites, an “Ask the Experts” section, information on vaccines and vaccine safety, and much more.
http://www.immunize.org/

KidsHealth
The KidsHealth web site includes lots of information on the various types of vaccines your child should receive. It also dispels a lot of the common myths that exist about vaccines and explains why vaccines are so important.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/vaccine.html

World Health Organization (WHO)
The WHO's web site includes information on immunization safety, new vaccine technology, a parents’ forum, and suggestions about looking for vaccine information on the web.
http://www.who.int/vaccines

For more links to web immunization resources, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nip/links.htm.