What are vaccinations (immunizations)? Vaccinations (immunizations) help protect your child from certain diseases. They also help reduce the spread of disease to others. Sometimes a vaccine doesn't completely prevent the disease. But it will make the disease much less serious if your child does get it. Some vaccines are...

Your immunity protects both you and your unborn baby (fetus). After you have been immunized (vaccinated) against or infected by a virus or bacteria, your body forms an immunity to it. Full immunity can protect you from future infection, either for a lifetime or a limited period. Partial immunity strengthens how well...

What are immunizations? Immunizations help keep you and your child from getting certain diseases that can be spread to other people (infectious diseases). They also help reduce the spread of disease to others and prevent epidemics. Immunizations are also called vaccines or vaccinations. If you get a vaccine, it may not...

Guides you through the decision to get a flu vaccine. Provides info on the flu vaccine. Explains who should and should not get a flu vaccine. Covers benefits and risks. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

Vaccines are safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carefully checks all vaccines for safety. Federal law requires health professionals to report any reaction following an vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System ( VAERS). For more information about how vaccine safety is checked, see...

You can help prevent the flu by getting a flu vaccine every year, as soon as it is available. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine. The vaccine prevents most cases of the flu. But even when the vaccine doesn't prevent the flu, it can make symptoms less severe and reduce the chance of problems from the flu. Who should...

Immunity is a person's resistance to (or protection from) a disease. A person may be born with temporary protection from certain diseases, or a person may be protected after having an infection or immunization (vaccination). Immunity occurs because the body's immune system recognizes a foreign substance (such as a virus...

The flu (influenza) vaccine saves lives. But sometimes people choose not to get the vaccine because of incorrect information they've heard about the vaccine or the flu. With conflicting messages out there, it can be hard to know what's true and what to do. The answers to these common questions may help you feel good...

An immunization, also called a vaccination, is a way to keep you from getting a disease. The medicine causes your body to make antibodies that can then recognize and fight the illness if you are later exposed to it. Besides keeping you from getting sick, immunizations also help reduce the spread of disease to others and...

Starting at 2 months after birth, premature infants (preemies) need all the recommended immunizations that full-term infants get. The one vaccine that your preemie may not get on schedule is the hepatitis B vaccine. In full-term infants, it is usually given at birth. But this vaccine doesn't work as well in very small...

There has been ongoing controversy surrounding certain vaccines and their relationship to autism. Some parents have been concerned that vaccines, specifically the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and preservatives used in other childhood vaccines, play a role in children developing autism. There have been a lot of...

Topic guides you through the decision to get the shingles vaccine. Explains your chances of getting shingles and how well the vaccine works. Lists risks and benefits of getting the vaccine. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) creates Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), which have details about most vaccines given in the United States. The VISs are updated when needed. The information in these statements does not change often. Each VIS explains why to get the vaccine, the risks from the...

The vaccines included on this statement are likely to be given at the same time during infancy and early childhood. There are separate Vaccine Information Statements for other vaccines that are also routinely recommended for young children (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, rotavirus, influenza, and hepatitis A).

A BCG vaccine is given to prevent tuberculosis (TB) infection. The vaccine contains bacteria called BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin) that is closely related to the bacteria that cause TB. The BCG vaccine is often given to people in countries where TB is common, such as South America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and...

A postvaccination test for immunity to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is recommended only if you: Have an impaired immune system. This can be caused by many things, such as infection with HIV or the use of medicines to prevent organ rejection. Are having dialysis for kidney failure. Received the hepatitis B vaccine in the...

My child's name is __________________________. My child's birthday is _________________. My child's doctor is __________________________. The doctor's phone number is _____________________. Age Immunization Dose Notes Date given Birth Hepatitis B (HepB) 1 of 3 2 months Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) 1 of 5...