Immunization Information

Diphtheria is a serious infection of the throat that can block the airway and cause severe breathing difficulty. Tetanus (lockjaw) is a nerve disease caused by toxin-producing bacteria contaminating a wound. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a respiratory illness with cold symptoms that progresses to severe coughing

5-dose series is routinely administered at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, and 4-6 years. This is followed by a Tdap booster at age 11-12, and Tdap booster every subsequent 10 years.

Hepatitis B affects the liver. Those who are infected can become lifelong carriers of the virus and may develop chronic illness such as liver disease (cirrhosis) or cancer of the liver.

3-shot series with first dose recommended shortly after birth, the second dose is given at 1-4 months and the third dose at 6-18 months.

Polio is a viral infection that can result in permanent paralysis.

Many adults received an oral form of the vaccine which carried a small risk of developing polio.

The current injected vaccine should not be given to children with severe allergy to neomycin, streptomycin, or polymyxin B.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection associated with a rash that can lead to other health problems such as pneumonia, myocarditis, and encephalitis.

Mumps is a contagious infection causing inflammation in many parts of the body, including the salivary glands causing the glands to swell and become painful. Rarely, mumps can lead to complications including encephalitis, meningitis, and sterility for males.

Rubella (German measles) is a viral infection that affects skin and lymph nodes. While a mild disease in children, the virus can pass to a pregnant woman and to her developing baby causing congenital defects.

2-dose series at 12-15 months and 4-6 years.

Chickenpox is a common and very contagious childhood viral illness.

This is now a 2-shot series given at 12-15 months and 4-6 years.

Occasionally children who have been vaccinated do get chickenpox but have a mild case.

Hepatitis A virus causes fever, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and can lead to community-wide epidemics.

Child care centers are a common source of outbreaks.

Asymptomatic carriers can spread the disease to others.

Recommended for administration at 12-23 months, followed by a second dose 6 months later.

Also recommended for children and adults traveling to certain countries.

Haernophilus influenzae type b bacteria were the leading cause of meningitis in children until the Hib vaccine became available. The bacteria can also cause pneumonia, pericarditis, and infections of the blood, bones, and joints.

3-shot series at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months with a booster dose at 12-15 months.

Human pappillomavirus is the most common sexually-transmitted virus in the US and can cause cervical cancer and genital warts in women.

This new vaccine (Gardasil) 3-shot series is recommended by CDC for girls 11-12 years or girls 13-26 years who did not receive it earlier. The second dose is given 2 months after dose 1. The third dose is given 6 months after dose 1 (4 months after dose 2).

Commonly known as “the flu,” influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. Children 6 months to 5 years, and children or adults with chronic medical conditions, are considered “at risk” for developing complications related to the flu.

Children under 9 are recommended to have 2 separate shots (inactivated virus) given a month apart for maximum protection. Because the protection wears off and the flu virus is constantly changing, an updated vaccine is recommended each year.

Meningococcal disease, from the neisseria meningitides bacterium, is a serious bacterial infection that can lead to bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane that protects the brain and spinal cord, is a rare highly contagious and life-threatening disease that can spread rapidly among children and young adults who are in close quarters.

The vaccine is recommended at 11-12 years, or at age 15, or for older teens entering college and living in a dormitory setting.

The pneumococcus bacterium is the leading cause of serious infections, including pneumonia, blood infections, and bacterial meningitis. Children under 2 are most susceptible to this bacteria spread through person-to–person contact.

4-shot series at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12-15 months.

Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea, mostly in babies and young children, often accompanied by vomiting and fever.

3-dose oral vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months.