Vaccines Questions & Answers

Why are some vaccines given more than once ?
Some vaccines aren't fully effective unless they are given many times. Sometimes the body's immune system needs several chances to produce enough protection against a germ. Getting some, but not all, of the shots against a certain infection leaves your child at risk for that infection. But make sure your doctor knows if your child has had a bad reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine.

Do kids really need all of these shots ?
Yes they do. Doctors who study diseases know that for the majority of children, vaccination is much safer than risking a serious, potentially life-threatening infection. You may have recovered completely from chickenpox or German measles, but some children do not. If a child gets one of these infections, he or she may miss many days of school or day care. Parents may need to take off days from work to care for a sick child. In addition, a child with one of these infections may infect another child or adult who may become extremely ill. For example, some of the infections we discuss are dangerous for pregnant women, older people, or those having cancer treatments. When you immunize your children, you're protecting them-and the people around them.

If I breast-feed my baby, she doesn't need these vaccines, right?
Wrong. Breast milk has many valuable ingredients that help protect your baby from diarrhea and upper respiratory infection. But the immunizations your doctor recommends
for a young baby provide specific protection against infections like polio or pertussis. Breast milk provides protection against some, but not all, infections. You may be interested to know that young infants are often the ones who suffer the most from these common infections. With Hib disease, for example, 60% of the serious disease and deaths occur in babies younger than 1 year old. Of all the babies aged 6 months and younger who get whooping cough (pertussis), 72% have to be hospitalized. Of all the deaths that are caused by whooping cough, 84% occur in babies less than 6 months of age.

Do the immunizations always work?
No vaccine is 100% effective, but for most vaccines, more than 90% of children who get immunized are fully protected against the infection. Every now and then, a child
does not respond to a vaccine the way that we expect. In this situation, he or she may remain vulnerable to the infection.

What can I do if my child missed a vaccine ?
Tell your doctor so that your child can get started. The CDC publishes a catch-up schedule. It's a good bet that your child can be protected against infections quickly. But you have to tell your doctor so that you can get started. And remember, the immunizations that your child has already had probably still provide some protection.

Don't these immunizations have severe side effects?
No vaccine is completely risk free, but the risks are very small compared to the risks of the diseases they prevent such as the risk of limb amputation or death from meningococcal disease. Some children have reactions that mean they cannot get the rest of the series. Some children run high fevers and even a few have seizures. In many cases, those children had bad reactions to previous doses in the series and probably should not have received additional ones. According to the CDC, no child has ever been known to die from an allergic reaction to a vaccination.

What if my child has a bad reaction to an immunization?
Call your doctor right away, especially if your child has breathing problems, hives, hoarseness, dizziness, or a racing heart. For details about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, call 1-800-338-2382 or visit www.hrsa.gov/osp/vicp.

Is it possible that vaccines cause autism ?
Autism may have become more common in recent years, so scientists have been trying to determine what may have caused this apparent increase in cases. Several groups of investigators have looked at vaccines very carefully, and no one has shown any reliable evidence that immunizations cause this condition. Current evidence suggests that autism is genetically determined.

My house is clean and my child does not go to day care. Does he need vaccines?
It's true that handwashing, clean kitchens and bathrooms and careful food handling go a long way toward preventing illness in all family members. It's also true that
children who are not in day care have a lower risk of infection than other children. But despite your best efforts, your child will be exposed to viruses and bacteria, for which serious infections can be prevented by vaccination.

Does getting several vaccines at one time stress the immune system ?
Many studies have tried to determine if giving several vaccines at the same time is harmful. It isn't. In fact, today's vaccines have only a fraction of the virus or bacteria particles (antigens) that were contained in the vaccines you received as a child. Also, getting several vaccines at once makes it less likely that they will be missed.