"Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease."
Pediatricians are responsible for administering immunizations to children to protect against serious diseases. They also educate families on the importance of immunizations and address any concerns or questions they may have.
Vaccines: An introduction to the concept of vaccines, their types, ingredients, and how they work.
Immunological basis of vaccines: Understand the immunology behind vaccines and how they work.
Immunization schedule: A comprehensive guide to vaccination schedules, from birth to adulthood.
Vaccine-preventable diseases: A list of diseases that are preventable with vaccines, such as polio, measles, and HPV.
Vaccine safety and adverse effects: Learn about side effects, contraindications, and adverse reactions that may occur from vaccines.
Vaccine hesitancy: Explore the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy and strategies to address it.
Vaccine coverage and herd immunity: Understand what vaccine coverage is and how it impacts herd immunity.
Vaccine administration: Learn about immunization routes, techniques, and best practices related to vaccine administration.
Storage and handling of vaccines: Understand the importance of proper storage and handling of vaccines to maintain their potency and efficacy.
Vaccine advocacy: Learn how to advocate for the importance of immunization and the benefits of vaccines to improve community health.
Hepatitis B: A vaccine that protects against the Hepatitis B virus that can cause liver damage or liver cancer.
Rotavirus: A vaccine that is given orally and protects against a virus that can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration in babies and young children.
DTaP: A combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Hib: A vaccine that protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b, which can cause serious infections such as meningitis and pneumonia in children.
Pneumococcal: A vaccine that protects against pneumococcal bacteria that can cause infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, and blood infections.
Polio: A vaccine that protects against the poliovirus, which can cause paralysis and death.
Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV): A vaccine that protects against polio and is given as a shot.
Influenza (flu): A vaccine that protects against different strains of the flu virus that can cause severe illnesses and even death.
MMR: A combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
Varicella: A vaccine that protects against chickenpox, which can cause severe itching, blisters, and complications in some children.
Hepatitis A: A vaccine that protects against the Hepatitis A virus that can cause liver damage and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Meningococcal: A vaccine that protects against meningococcal bacteria that can cause meningitis and blood infections.
HPV: A vaccine that protects against certain strains of the human papillomavirus that can cause genital warts and certain cancers.
Tdap: A vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) and is given to adolescents and adults as a booster.
"Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism."
"In stimulating the body's adaptive immunity, they help prevent sickness from an infectious disease."
"When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, herd immunity results."
"Herd immunity protects those who may be immunocompromised and cannot get a vaccine because even a weakened version would harm them."
"The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases."
"Widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the elimination of diseases such as polio and tetanus from much of the world."
"Some diseases, such as measles outbreaks in America, have seen rising cases due to relatively low vaccination rates in the 2010s – attributed, in part, to vaccine hesitancy."
"According to the World Health Organization, vaccination prevents 3.5–5 million deaths per year."
"The first disease for which a vaccine was produced was most likely smallpox."
"The smallpox vaccine was invented in 1796 by English physician Edward Jenner."
"Louis Pasteur furthered the concept through his work in microbiology."
"The immunization was called vaccination because it was derived from a virus affecting cows (Latin: vacca 'cow')."
"Smallpox was a contagious and deadly disease, causing the deaths of 20–60% of infected adults and over 80% of infected children."
"This is distinct from inoculation, which uses unweakened live pathogens."
"Vaccination efforts have been met with some reluctance on scientific, ethical, political, medical safety, and religious grounds."
"No major religions oppose vaccination, and some consider it an obligation due to the potential to save lives."
"In the United States, people may receive compensation for alleged injuries under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program."
"Early success brought widespread acceptance, and mass vaccination campaigns have greatly reduced the incidence of many diseases in numerous geographic regions."
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists vaccination as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century in the U.S."