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Summary
Today, children in the United States routinely get vaccines that protect them from more than a dozen diseases such as measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Most of these diseases are now at their lowest levels in history, thanks to years of immunization. Children must get at least some vaccines before they may attend school.
Vaccines help make you immune to serious diseases without getting sick first. Without a vaccine, you must actually get a disease in order to become immune to the germ that causes it. Vaccines work best when they are given at certain ages. For example, children don't receive measles vaccine until they are at least one year old. If it is given earlier it might not work as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a schedule for childhood vaccines.
Although some of the vaccines you receive as a child provide protection for many years, adults need immunizations too.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Related Issues
- After the Shots... What to Do If Your Child Has Discomfort (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Also in Spanish
-
Community Immunity: How Vaccines Protect Us All
(National Institutes of Health)
- Current Vaccine Shortages and Delays (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Do Vaccines Cause Autism? Is it OK to Skip Certain Vaccines? Get the facts (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Thimerosal (Ethylmercury) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Immunizations: Active vs. Passive (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Ingredients of Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Is There a Connection Between Vaccines and Autism? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Questions Parents Ask about Baby Shots (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF
- Travelers' Health: Vaccine Recommendations for Infants and Children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Understanding Thimerosal, Mercury, and Vaccine Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Vaccinating Your Preteen: Addressing Common Concerns (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Vaccination Records for Kids (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Vaccine Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Immunizations for Preterm Babies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Your Baby's First Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Images
- Vaccine-Preventable Disease Photos (Immunization Action Coalition)
Health Check Tools
- Instant Childhood Immunization Schedule (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Statistics and Research
- 2012 National Immunization Survey Data (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- FastStats: Immunization (National Center for Health Statistics)
-
Safeguarding Our Health: Vaccines Protect Us All
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
- VaxView: Vaccination Coverage [data] in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Childhood Immunization
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
-
Overview of the Immune System
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Find an Expert
Children
- Kids Guide to Shots (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Vaccination: An Act of Love (Pan American Health Organization) - PDF Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Immunizations (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Vaccinations for Preteens and Teens, Age 11-19 Years (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Recommended Immunizations for Children from 7 Through 18 Years Old (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Your Baby's First Vaccines: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF