Diseases
Vaccine-Preventable
Childhood Diseases
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At a glance: In our mobile society, over a million people
each day people travel to and from other countries, where many
vaccine-preventable diseases remain relatively common. Without
vaccines, epidemics of many preventable diseases could
return, resulting in increased – and unnecessary – illness,
disability, and death among children. |
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Contents: |
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| Protect
your child |
We have record or near record low
levels of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases in the United States,
but that does not mean these have disappeared. Many of the viruses
and bacteria are still circulating in this country or are only a
plane ride away. That’s why it’s important that children, especially
infants and young children, receive recommended immunizations on
time.
For your convenience,
print the Childhood
Vaccination Schedule which indicates
the recommended ages for routine administration
of the currently licensed childhood vaccines
for children through 18 years of age. This
schedule has been approved by the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP),
the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and
the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
The following
vaccine-preventable diseases, not long
ago, disabled and killed millions of American
children. Thanks to our country’s high
childhood immunization coverage levels,
these diseases are now very uncommon. For
a print-friendly version of vaccines and
the diseases they prevent in adolescents,
consult the Child
Immunizations, "Vaccines for Adolescents"
flyer on
the Publications page.
Diphtheria
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused
by bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Gradual onset of a sore throat
and low-grade fever |
| Complications |
Airway obstruction, coma, and
death if not treated |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Diphtheria toxoid (contained
in DTP, DTaP, DT or Td vaccines) can prevent this disease.
|
| Details |
More
on diphtheria |
Haemophilus
influenzae
type b (Hib)
| Description |
A severe bacterial infection,
occurring primarily in infants |
| Symptoms |
Skin and throat infections,
meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and arthritis
(Can be serious in
children under age 1, but there is little risk of getting the disease
after age 5) |
| Complications |
Hib meningitis (death in one
out of 20 children, and permanent brain damage in 10% - 30%
of the survivors) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Hib vaccine can prevent
this disease. |
| Details |
More
on Hib |
Hepatitis
A
| Description |
A disease of the liver caused
by hepatitis A virus |
| Symptoms |
Potentially none (likelihood
of symptoms increases with the person's age)
If present: yellow skin or
eyes, tiredness, stomach ache, loss of appetite, or nausea |
| Complications |
Because young children
might not have symptoms, the disease is often not recognized until the
child's caregiver becomes ill with hepatitis A. |
| Transmission |
Most often: spread
by the fecal-oral route (An object contaminated with the stool
of a person with hepatitis A is put into another person's mouth.)
Less often: spread
by swallowing food or water that contains the virus |
| Vaccine |
Hepatitis A vaccine will
prevent this disease. |
| Details |
More
on hepatitis A |
Hepatitis
B
| Description |
A disease of the liver caused
by hepatitis B virus |
| Symptoms |
Potentially none when first
infected (likelihood of early symptoms increases with the person's
age)
If present: yellow skin or
eyes, tiredness, stomach ache, loss of appetite, nausea, or
joint pain |
| Complications |
The younger the person, the
greater the likelihood of staying infected and having life-long
liver problems, such as scarring of the liver and liver cancer |
| Transmission |
Spread through contact with
the blood of an infected person or by having sex with an infected
person |
| Vaccine |
Hepatitis B vaccine is
will prevent this disease. |
| Details |
More
on hepatitis B |
Measles
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused
by a virus |
| Symptoms |
Measles virus causes rash, high
fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, lasting about
a week. |
| Complications |
Diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia,
encephalitis, seizures, and death |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing
(highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Measles vaccine (contained in
MMR, MR and measles vaccines) can prevent this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on measles |
Mumps
| Description |
An acute viral illness caused by the mumps virus. |
| Symptoms |
Fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite; followed by swelling of salivary glands. The parotid salivary glands (which are located within your cheek, near your jaw line, below your ears) are most frequently affected. |
| Complications |
Meningitis, inflammation of
the testicles or ovaries, inflammation of the pancreas and deafness
(usually permanent) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Mumps vaccine (contained in
MMR) can prevent this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on mumps |
Pertussis
(whooping
cough)
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused
by bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Severe spasms of coughing that
can interfere with eating, drinking, and breathing |
| Complications |
Pneumonia, encephalitis (due
to lack of oxygen), and death, especially in infants. |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing
(highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Pertussis vaccine (contained
in DTP and DTaP) can prevent this disease. |
| Details |
More
on pertussis |
Pneumococcal
disease
| Description |
A type
of bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Pneumococcal
pneumonia (begins with high fever, cough,
and stabbing chest pains), bacteremia,
and meningitis. |
| Complications |
Death (one
of the most common causes of death in America
from a vaccine-preventable disease). |
| Transmission |
Pneumococcus
is in many people's noses and throats.
Why it suddenly invades the body and causes
disease is unknown. |
| Vaccine |
Pneumococcal
Conjugate Vaccine (PCV especially developed
for infants and children under age 2)
and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine
(PPV not effective for children under
2 years--only for adults) can prevent
this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on pneumococcal |
Polio
| Description |
A disease of the lymphatic and
nervous systems |
| Symptoms |
Fever, sore throat, nausea,
headaches, stomach aches, and stiffness in the neck, back, and
legs |
| Complications |
Paralysis that can lead to permanent
disability and death |
| Transmission |
Contact with an infected person |
| Vaccine |
Polio vaccine (IPV) can prevent
this disease. |
| Details |
More
on Polio |
Rotavirus (severe diarrhea)
| Description |
A
virus that is the most common cause of severe
childhood gastroenteritis worldwide |
| Symptoms |
Diarrhea,
vomiting, fever |
| Complications |
Severe
diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, death |
| Transmission |
Usually fecal-oral (an
object contaminated with the stool of
a person with rotavirus is put into
another person's mouth). Possible respiratory transmission.
|
| Vaccine |
Oral rotavirus vaccine can prevent about 75% of rotavirus gastroenteritis, and almost all severe rotavirus
gastroenteritis. |
| Details |
More
on rotavirus |
Rubella
(German
measles)
| Description | A respiratory disease caused
by a virus |
| Symptoms | Rash and fever for two to three
days ( mild disease in children and young adults) |
| Complications |
Birth defects if acquired by
a pregnant woman: deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental
retardation, and liver and spleen damage (at least a 20% chance
of damage to the fetus if a woman is infected early in pregnancy) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Rubella vaccine (contained in
MMR vaccine) can prevent this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on rubella |
Tetanus
(lockjaw)
| Description |
A disease of the nervous system
caused by a bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Early symptoms: lockjaw,
stiffness in the neck and abdomen, and difficulty swallowing
Later symptoms: fever,
elevated blood pressure, and severe muscle spasms |
| Complications |
Death in one third of the cases,
especially people over age 50 |
| Transmission |
Enters the body through a break
in the skin |
| Vaccine |
Tetanus toxoid (contained in
DTP, DT, DTaP & Td vaccines) can prevent this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on tetanus |
Varicella
(chickenpox)
| Description |
A virus of the herpes family |
| Symptoms |
A skin rash of blister-like
lesions, usually on the face, scalp, or trunk |
| Complications |
Bacterial infection of
the skin, swelling of the brain, and pneumonia (usually more severe in
children 13 or older and adults) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing
(highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Varicella vaccine can
prevent this disease. |
| Details |
Related
pages on varicella |
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