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Below are some
common questions parents may have about vaccines. For more information
and to find expert's answers to the questions you may have, links
to additional resources are available throughout this section,
or you may call the Immunization Branch at (619) 692-8661 for
more information.
Q:
Immunizations, vaccinations, inoculations or shots?
A:
It is easy to get confused over the terms we hear when people are
talking about shots. Some people call them immunizations. Others
call them vaccinations, or inoculations. Some just call them shots.
Don't be confused. These words all mean the same thing. If a doctor
or nurse tells you to bring in your baby for immunizations or vaccinations,
or to be vaccinated or immunized, they are asking you to bring the
baby in for shots.
Q:
Why are baby shots so important?
A:
These
shots protect your baby from fourteen diseases; Measles, Mumps, Rubella
(German Measles), Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough),
Polio, Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib Disease), Hepatitis B,
Varicella (Chickenpox), Pneumococcal, Hepatitis A, Influenza and Rotavirus. It is important
to have the recommended doses on schedule, to establish protection
while the baby is small and especially vulnerable.
Q:
Are these diseases very serious?
A:
Although
we might not think these diseases are very serious because we don't
see them in our communities, they do still exist and can be very
deadly. Before the MMR vaccine, measles used to kill hundreds--sometimes
thousands--of people a year. In the 1920's over 10,000 people a
year died from diphtheria. And in the 1940's and 50's tens of thousands
of children were crippled and killed by polio. Even today these
diseases can lead to pneumonia, choking, brain damage, heart problems,
and blindness in children who are not protected. And they still
kill children every year. In San Diego County during 2003, pertussis
was responsible for 145 hospital days, mostly among infants, at
a cost of $362,500. We cannot measure the cost to parents of watching
their babies struggle to breathe. In 2005, 371 cases of whooping cough were reported in the County, the highest number in many years.
Q:
What will happen if my child doesn't get these shots?
A:
Maybe
nothing, if your child is never exposed to disease. But children
ARE exposed to diseases through their everyday activities. Most
of these fourteen diseases are spread easily from person to person.
If your child has not had her shots, and she is around someone who
has measles, whooping cough, or one of the other childhood diseases,
he/she may get sick, too. It's also important to remember that there
are children who can't get their shots due to health problems. As
a community, it is our responsibility to protect all of our children.
Healthy children don't spread disease, so by protecting your child,
you will be protecting others as well. Also, if an outbreak of one
of these diseases occurs in a school or child care facility, all
children who are not immunized may be kept out of school or child
care until the outbreak is ended. 2008 saw the first outbreak of measles in San Diego since 1991. Twelve cases were reported and some 70 people were quarantined at their homes to interrupt the spread of the disease.
Q:
Are shots safe?
A: YES! Immunizations are given to people who are not sick to keep
them well so they are held to the highest standards of safety. Due
to constant review and medical research they are getting even safer
and more effective all the time. Vaccines, like all medicines, do have possible side
effects. Most side effects are mild, such as pain or tenderness
where the shot is given. Serious reactions are rare, but they can
happen. Your doctor or nurse will discuss these with you before
giving the shots. Make sure they also give you a vaccine information
sheet (VIS) for each shot with information for you to take home
about the vaccine.
Q:
If vaccines cause side effects, wouldn't it be "safer"
to just avoid vaccines?
A:
No. Unfortunately, choosing to avoid vaccines is simply a choice
to take a different (and greater) risk. Unvaccinated children are at risk from
many diseases including meningitis caused by Hib, bloodstream infections
caused by pneumococcus, pneumonia caused by measles, deafness caused
by mumps, and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus. When you
compare the risk of vaccines and the risk of diseases, vaccines
are the safer choice.
Q:
If vaccine-preventable diseases are almost gone from the United
States, why do our children need to get any shots at all?
A:
Many of these diseases may someday be eliminated, but outbreaks
of diphtheria, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases still
occur (see the answer to “What will happen if my child doesn’t get these shots?” above). Without vaccines, the diseases we are now protected from
will return. Thousands of children will become sick, some will have
long-lasting health problems, and some will die. Other countries
do not have the same levels of immunization that we benefit from
in the United States. We must all remain protected with vaccines
because dangerous diseases, though largely under control in the
United States are still only a plane ride away.
Q:
How many shots does my child need? And when?
A:
Your child should get the first shots at 2 months of age (or in
some cases before leaving the hospital after birth), then at 4 months,
6 months and 12-15 months of age. Remember, each of these visits
is important! Your child must complete the series to be fully protected.
More immunizations are recommended at 2 years and before school
entry. Adolescents also need immunizations at 11-12 years of age,
before entering 7th grade. For more information, review the current
Recommended Childhood Immunization
Schedule.
Q:
Does my child need a TB test to enter school or child care?
A: The TB skin test is not a vaccine, so it is not part of the
California School Immunization Law. Some schools and child care
facilities may require the TB test for admission, so check before
you enroll your child. For more information, please contact San
Diego County's Tuberculosis Control Program at (619) 692-8627 or
visit their website at http://www.sandiegotbcontrol.org.
To view or download more information on TB screening guidelines,
click on the link below:
FAQs for Tuberculosis (TB) Screening
Guidelines for Schools and Child Care Facilities in San Diego County
Q:
Is it safe to give my child so many shots?
A: Children can now receive as many as 26 shots by the time
they are 2 years old and sometimes as many as six shots in a single
visit. That's a lot of shots! The number of recommended immunizations
has increased because we are now able to safely protect children
from more serious diseases than ever before. At birth, newborns
immediately face a host of different challenges to their immune
system. But babies are capable of responding to millions of different
viruses and bacteria because they have billions of immunologic cells
circulating in their bodies. Therefore, the vaccines given in the
first two years of life are literally a raindrop in the ocean of
what infants' immune systems successfully encounter in their environment
every day. Immunizations work naturally by using the body's own
immune system, making it stronger and teaching it to fight diseases.
Children who have not been immunized are at far greater risk of
becoming infected with serious diseases because their body hasn't
been taught how to fight off the harmful bacteria and viruses. A
recent study showed that children who had not received the measles
vaccine were 35 times more likely to get the disease. The consequences
from a harmful and sometimes even fatal vaccine-preventable disease
are much more damaging to your child's body than the shots that
they receive to protect themselves.
Q:
What happens if my child misses a shot, or I haven't had time to
bring him/her into the doctor on time to get the shots?
A: Many shots are given as a series over a period of time. However,
if a shot is missed, you do NOT need to start the series all over
again (as long as you have a record of previous shots)! The series can be continued as usual, simply picking up where
you left off. Remember, your child must complete the series to be
protected, so check your child's record, then call your doctor,
nurse, or clinic right away if more doses are needed to help your
child stay healthy.
Q:
Are all these shots expensive? Where can I go?
A:
If you don't have a regular doctor you can take your child to one
of the free or low-cost clinics nearby.
In San Diego County, if you can't afford to pay for the shots, and
your child is under 2 years of age, the shots will be given to your
child at no cost. If your child is over 2 years, they can still
get the shots even if you can not pay.
Q: I know my child's immunization record
is important but what happens if I lose it?
A:
Your
child's immunization record is very important! It will be needed
for entry to family child care homes, child care centers, Head Start,
pre-schools, schools and even college. If you lose your child's
record, ask your health care provider to give you a new copy, with
all immunizations recorded and properly documented. If you cannot
get the information re-documented by your providers, your child
may have to get the shots all over again. So keep his/her record
in a safe place with other important documents. Click on the link
below for tips.
Tips for Finding Old Immunization
Records
With the San Diego Regional Immunization Registry,
many shot records are computerized! Click
here to find out more.
Q:
Will it hurt my child to get the shots over again?
A:
Your child is at no added risk from getting his/her shots again.
They will just suffer the discomfort that is involved with getting
another shot. No one wants to have to "retake" their shots,
so make sure that your child is protected and you have a record
of it.
Q:
How do I evaluate all the information I find on the internet about
immunizations?
A:
With the large amount of information on the internet now, it can be confusing to determine what is accurate and valid information. The National Network for Immunization Information has a good answer to this question. You can find it here:
http://www.immunizationinfo.org/parents/evaluatingWeb.cfm
Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent has more information here:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/evalwebs.htm
Most importantly, the health information that you find on the web should be discussed with your doctor or health professional. Information from the web should add to rather than replace the information or advice given to you by your doctor.
Q:
Does the MMR vaccine cause autism?
A:
Many carefully performed studies say no. For the latest information on this topic, please see the sources listed below:
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)’s web pages with information about vaccines and autism:
http://www.aap.org/new/autisminfomain.html
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a wealth of information on vaccine safety:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/
Q:
Why is hepatitis B so serious in pregnant women?
A:
Pregnant women who are infected with HBV can transmit the disease
to their babies. Many of these babies develop lifelong HBV infections,
and as many as 1 in 4 will develop liver failure or liver cancer.
All pregnant women should be tested early in pregnancy to determine
if they are infected with hepatitis B virus. If the blood test is
positive, the baby should be vaccinated at birth with two shots,
one of hepatitis B immune globulin and one of hepatitis B vaccine.
The infant will need additional doses of hepatitis B vaccine at
one and six months of age. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant,
talk with your doctor about the recommended immunizations you should
have to protect your unborn child.
For more information
about hepatitis, go to the Immunization
Action Coalition website at http://www.immunize.org/
Q:
Will my child still be protected against chickenpox as an adult
if he or she gets the vaccine now?
A:
For the latest information on this subject, please see the following websites:
KidsHealth.org:
http://www.kidshealth.org/Search01.jsp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/default.htm
Q:
Can the varicella vaccine cause chickenpox? Can other children or
adults get chickenpox from being exposed to a child who has recently
received the vaccine?
A:
The varicella vaccine may cause chicken pox since it is a live,
weakened virus. About 1% of recipients per year develop a chickenpox
rash, which is much milder than the naturally occurring chickenpox,
and is usually without fever. The few children who develop a rash
after receiving the chickenpox vaccine may be contagious for a short
period of time. Should this occur, they will spread the weakened
vaccine virus, not the wild virus.
Q:
Can the varicella vaccine cause shingles?
A: Yes, but this happens much less often among people who have
been immunized than among those who were naturally infected with
the chickenpox. Shingles is a rash with painful blisters that occurs
in some people who previously had chickenpox. This is because after
a person is exposed to the varicella virus, it can continue to live
silently for many years in that individual's nerve cells. Later
in life, the virus can become reactivated, moving from nerve cells
to the skin, causing the painful condition as the virus multiplies.
Shingles is less common among people exposed to varicella virus
through the vaccine. About 0.2% of the people who had chickenpox
earlier in life (20 cases per 10,000 people who had chickenpox)
will develop shingles each year. Only 0.003% of people (.03 cases
per 10,000 doses, or 3 cases per million doses) who have been given
the varicella vaccine have developed shingles. When it develops,
shingles in vaccine recipients is much milder than in people who
had chickenpox disease.
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