Suggested Immunizations for Children
Chickenpox Chickenpox (varicella) is a common childhood disease. It is usually mild, but it can be serious, especially in young infants and adults. Chickenpox causes a rash that turns into blisters with itching. Other common symptoms include fever and fatigue. It can lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage or death. When should your child be vaccinated? A first shot is given between 12 and 15 months and a second shot is recommended between the ages of 4 to 6 years. A series of two shots at least four weeks apart are suggested for children aged 13 years or older who were not previously inoculated and have not had chickenpox. Children or teens who have previously only received one dose should get a catch-up vaccine. Side effects: Soreness at the site of the injection and possibly a low-grade fever. In 4 percent of the children vaccinated, a minor rash can occur, often around the area of the shot.
Back to top Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) This combined vaccine is used to prevent three diseases:
-
Diphtheria is an infection of the throat that can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and death.
-
Pertussis (whooping cough) causes the buildup of sticky, thick mucus in the windpipe. Children cough uncontrollably and make a whooping sound as they try to breathe. Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia and seizures.
-
Tetanus is a potentially deadly illness that causes painful tightening of the muscles and locking of the jaw.
When should your child be vaccinated? A diptheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccination is given as a series of five shots at:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 15 to 18 months
- 4 to 6 years
Side effects: Soreness or mild fever. Back to top Hepatitis A and B Hepatitis A is a viral disease that attacks the liver, causing mild flu-like symptoms, jaundice, severe stomach pains and diarrhea. Hepatitis B is a virus that can cause acute short-term symptoms, such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, jaundice, pain in muscles, joints and stomach, and fatigue. It can also lead to liver failure and liver cancer. When should your child be vaccinated? The hepatitis B vaccine should be given in a series of three shots:
- First dose - between birth and 2 months
- Second dose - one to two months after the first
- Third dose - between 6 to 18 months old
Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all children between the ages of 1 and 2 years of age. The hepatitis A vaccine should be given in a series of two shots at least 6 months apart. Your child should be at least 12 months old to receive the first inoculation. Side effects: The hepatitis B vaccine is made in baker's yeast. People with a life-threatening allergic reaction to that substance or to a previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine should not be immunized. One out of every 600,000 doses of hepatitis B vaccine can cause a serious reaction involving swelling of the mouth, trouble breathing, low blood pressure and shock. The hepatitis A vaccine can cause soreness at the site of the injection and headaches in 5 percent of the people inoculated. Back to top Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) Hib is given to prevent bacterial infections that can affect the brain, bloodstream, bones, joints, lungs and windpipe. Before the vaccine was developed, Hib was the most common cause of meningitis, an infection of the brain that can lead to paralysis, deafness, mental retardation and death. When should your child be vaccinated? The vaccine should be given in three or four shots at the following ages: Side effects: Soreness at the site of the injection and possibly a low-grade fever. Back to top Measles, mumps and rubella This combined vaccine is given to prevent three diseases:
-
Measles is a contagious disease that can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death.
-
Mumps is a viral infection characterized by swelling of the salivary glands near the neck. It can lead to deafness, meningitis, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries and, rarely, death.
-
Also known as German measles, rubella is a virus that causes a rash, mild fever and arthritis (mostly in women). It can cause birth defects or miscarriage if a woman is infected during the first three months of her pregnancy.
When should your child be vaccinated? The vaccine should be given in two doses:
- First dose - 12 to 15 months old
- Second dose - 4 to 6 years old
Side effects: Soreness at the site of the injection, and possibly a low-grade fever. There are rare cases of children developing a high fever five to 12 days after being inoculated with the measles vaccine. Some children may develop a mild, measles-like rash a week following the injection, but they can still be vaccinated in the future. In rare cases, the rubella vaccine can cause temporary swelling and pain in the joints. Back to top Meningococcal The meningococcal vaccine prevents a serious infection of the blood and brain (meningitis). The vaccine should be given to all children at the 11- to 12-year-old visit and to unvaccinated adolescents from 13 to 18 years old. Other adolescents who wish to decrease their risks for meningococcal disease may also be vaccinated. All college freshmen living in dormitories should be vaccinated as well. It should also be administered to children aged 2 to 10 years with terminal complement deficiencies or those without a spleen or a damaged spleen and other high-risk groups. Side effects: Pain and swelling at the injection site; occasional fever. Back to top Pneumococcal The pneumococcal vaccine prevents serious infections to the lungs (pneumonia), the blood and the covering of the brain (meningitis). Medical experts also believe it will provide protection against ear infections - one of the most common childhood ailments. When should your child be vaccinated? All children younger than 2 years should get the vaccine, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It is also recommended that older children be vaccinated if they have certain chronic diseases, including:
- HIV
- A spleen disorder
- Congenital immune deficiency, or a weakened immune system, caused by diseases such as AIDS or cancer treatment
- Diabetes, chronic cardiac, kidney or pulmonary diseases, or cerebrospinal fluid leaks
According to the AAP, the number of doses depends on when your child is first inoculated. Children ages 2 months to 6 months should receive three doses six to eight weeks apart and a booster between 12 months and 15 months of age. Side effects: Pain and swelling at the site of the injection, and, occasionally, a fever. Back to top Polio Polio is a virus that attacks the brain, spinal cord and central nervous system, causing paralysis and death. When should your child be vaccinated? The vaccine is given in four shots at the following ages:
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- 6 to 18 months old
- 4 to 6 years old
Side effects: The inactivated vaccine is the only vaccine used in the United States and has no known serious side effects. The oral vaccine is no longer recommended for use because of the slight risk of developing paralysis. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap)Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid and pertussis vaccine is given as a booster for the diseases of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis that were mentioned above. When should your child be vaccinated? A booster is given between the following ages:
- 11 to 18 years, depending on when the initial series of vaccinations was completed.
Side effects: Soreness or mild fever, very rare allergic reactions. Back to top Influenza Influenza (flu) is a viral illness seen in the winter that is associated with fever cough and muscles aches and pneumonia When should your child be vaccinated? Influenza vaccine is recommended annually for
- All children between the ages of 6 months up to and including 18 years.
- Any child between the ages of 6 months and 9 years who is getting flu vaccine for the first time should be given two doses at least four weeks apart.
- A child who received only one dose of vaccine in the first flu season that he was vaccinated should receive two doses the following season.
Side effects: Soreness, redness, fever aches. Back to top Human Papillomavirus Genital warts and cervical cancer are diseases that are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). More than 30 of the over 100 different types of HPV are sexually transmitted. They can infect the genital area of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina) or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. In some cases, though, the virus can cause cervical cancer. When should your child be vaccinated? Human papillomavirus vaccine is recommended as a series of three shots to females:
- First dose: 11 to 12 years
- Second dose: Two months after the first dose
- Third dose: Six months after the first dose
Females 13 to 18 years old should also get the same series if they have not yet received the vaccine. Side effects: Soreness at the injection site. Back to top Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
| 