ABCs OF CHILDHOOD VACCINES NATURAL IMMUNITY Terms To Remember • Natural Immunity: Immunity from disease can be provided by vaccination or by exposure to the disease. Some people believe that immunity is best gained by exposure to the actual disease, not by vaccination. • Shingles: A painful nerve inflammation occurring in people who have had chickenpox • National Immunization Project: An organization which can direct people to health clinics offering no- or low-cost vaccinations "Natural Immunity" (Getting Immunity By Getting Sick) • What is it? Does it work? What are the costs? • Some people believe that it's better to get a disease naturally than to be vaccinated against it. • One theory is that chickenpox, for example, helps mature the immune system. • And a mature immune system should be better able to fight infection from diseases, right? • What are the facts about natural immunity? Chickenpox and Natural Immunity: The Risks • While a full-blown case of chickenpox can make a child immune to the disease in the future, up to 5% of children who have had chickenpox get it again, 2 or more mild cases of it. • Chickenpox puts children at risk for shingles, a painful nerve inflammation striking 300,000 people a year. The chickenpox vaccination can lessen the chances of getting shingles. • Sick children miss school, their parents miss work, and there are financial costs to the family. • Children who have the disease spread it. Other family members, classmates, and friends can be infected with the disease too. Choosing Natural Immunity Is Risky! • Chickenpox kills children in the United States every year. • Before a chickenpox vaccine was licensed, almost 7,000 children per year were hospitalized for serious complications of chickenpox like encephalitis, hepatitis, flesh eating-strep, and toxic shock syndrome. Choosing Natural Immunity Can Be Risky To Others. • A parent who is not immune to chickenpox can easily catch the disease from an infected child. 1 in 5 adults who get chickenpox develops pneumonia, which can be deadly. • If a "routine" disease like chickenpox can have these results, natural immunity is a risky alternative to vaccination. Childhood Diseases Carry Serious Risks. • Hib or pneumococcal disease can cause bacterial meningitis, leading to brain damage or death. • Pertussis (whooping cough) can cause coughing spells so bad that it is hard for infants to eat, drink, or breathe. These spells can last for weeks. Pertussis can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death. • Polio may lead to paralysis and death. Polio used to be very common in the United States, killing and paralyzing thousands of people a year. • Tetanus (lockjaw) infection can cause painful tightening of the muscles. It can lead to "locking" of the jaw so the victim cannot open his mouth or swallow. Tetanus results in death in about 10% of cases. Key Facts • "Natural immunity" simply isn't a safe alternative for children-or for the adults who care for and love them. • Childhood diseases can have serious, potentially deadly consequences. • No child has to go without vaccinations. • It's easier, safer, and cheaper to vaccinate a child than to treat a disease. • Just call the National Immunization Project at 800-232-2522 for the name of the health clinic nearest you. Additional Resources • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov. Click “Vaccines & Immunizations,” then click “NIP Home Page” in the right column or go directly to www.cdc.gov/nip • National Immunization Hotline: 1-800-232-2522 • Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunization: Publication available online at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/ • For information on vaccine testing and licensing: www.fda.gov • For information about local health care resources: www.naccho.gov or look under "public health" in the blue pages of your local phone book • For information on children's health insurance: www.insurekidsnow.gov • Additional ABCs of Childhood Vaccines slide shows cover the following topics: Risks of Not Vaccinating; How Vaccines Work; Vaccine Safety; Primary Vaccinations