Parents PACK

Vaccine Educational Materials

The Vaccine Education Center provides informational materials in both English and Spanish.

Ask the VEC

New Tdap recommendations

Q. I am pregnant and heard that I should get the Tdap vaccine, but I had it during a previous pregnancy. Do I need to get it again?

 A. Yes, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all women receive a dose of Tdap between 27 and 36 weeks’ gestation during each pregnancy. If, however, you are past this point in your pregnancy, be sure to receive a dose of Tdap prior to leaving the hospital after delivery.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. It is particularly deadly among infants due to severe coughing spells that cause them to struggle to breathe against a narrowed windpipe. Babies cannot be vaccinated against whooping cough until they are 2 months old and are not considered fully immune until they’ve had three doses of DTaP, typically by 6 months of age. For this reason, the best way to protect your baby is to practice cocooning, in which everyone who may come in contact with your baby is vaccinated.

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Side effects and the body’s reaction to vaccines

Q. Is it true that side effects indicate that a baby’s body is reacting poorly to vaccines?

A. It is true that side effects are a reaction to a vaccine; however, they do not indicate that the immune system is reacting “poorly.” Quite the opposite, systemic side effects like fever indicate that the immune system is making an immune response to the vaccine. While it is reasonable to think that a fever is bad for a child, it actually helps the immune system work more efficiently. The problem with fevers occurs when they rise too quickly, sometimes leading to febrile seizures which, although frightening to see, are benign. In the case of fevers that result from vaccination, they tend to be what are considered “low-grade” fevers, so the concerns related to fevers from natural infections do not apply. The local side effects, such as pain, redness or swelling near the injection site, are responses to the physical disruption of muscles near the injection or the local immune response when white blood cells penetrate the area to respond to the “invader.”

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Incorrect hepatitis A vaccine dose

Q. My grandson received an adult dose of the hepatitis A vaccine instead of a child’s dose; will he be harmed?

A. While child dosing is meant to provide sufficient immunity with the least amount of vaccine, it is unlikely that receiving the adult dose of the hepatitis A vaccine will harm your grandson. Although he could be more likely to experience side effects caused by the vaccine, such as a sore arm or headache up to four days after the shot, your grandson should be fine.

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Chickenpox catch-up

Q. My 3-year-old daughter never received the first dose of the chickenpox vaccine because the country we lived in when she was an infant did not offer it. Soon we are planning to move back to that country, is it necessary for her to get the chickenpox vaccine before we go?

A. The current recommendation in the U.S. for children who did not receive their first dose of chickenpox vaccine by 15 months is to get it as soon as is feasible, and then receive the second dose at 4-6 years of age. However, because you mention that you plan to leave the U.S. soon, it is possible for her to get the second dose of the chickenpox vaccine 3 months after getting the first dose.

If the chickenpox vaccine isn’t used in the country to which you are returning, there is likely to be a higher rate of disease than you see in the U.S. So, getting your daughter vaccinated before you move back will help protect her from getting chickenpox.

Read more about chickenpox and the chickenpox vaccine»

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Protection from breast milk

Q. I heard that breastfeeding will protect my baby from infections, so do I still need to get my baby vaccinated?

A. While breastfeeding may provide short-term protection for your baby, the protection is limited and not specific for most vaccine-preventable diseases. For these reasons, breastfeeding cannot replace the long-term protection your child will develop from vaccination or infection. Since vaccinations are safer than natural infections, babies who are breastfed should still be immunized.

Read more about the difference in immunity from breastfeeding and vaccination in this month’s Trivia Corner»

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Rash after MMR vaccine

Q. A child in my daycare developed a rash after receiving the MMR vaccine. Can I contract or transmit measles, mumps or rubella to other children in the daycare?

A. No, you cannot pass on the diseases by touching the rash. You could only transmit them to others who are susceptible if you are sick with the diseases. It is likely that you are already immune, either by previously having the diseases or from receiving vaccines. However, if you are unsure about your immunity, check with your doctor.

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How can I prepare for my upcoming trip?

Q. I am preparing for an upcoming trip to multiple countries. Where can I learn more about how to avoid getting sick or injured on the trip?

A. Planning in advance is one of the keys to maintaining good health while traveling internationally. Travel clinics have staff who are well prepared to help with your travel needs based upon your destination, length of stay and planned activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also maintains a thorough website and publishes a traveler’s health guide, commonly known as the Yellow Book.

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Duration of protection after recovering from pertussis

Q. I am going to be around an infant soon, and I heard that I should get a Tdap vaccine. I had whooping cough as a child, so do I still need to get the vaccine?

A. Yes. Protection after a pertussis infection is not lifelong. Because infants are at increased risk of suffering complications and death from pertussis infections, adults and teens who will be around them, including childcare providers, should have a single dose of the Tdap vaccine.

Similarly, protection from the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine is not lifelong, so even teens and adults who were immunized as children and have not received a Tdap booster should get the vaccine before spending any significant time with an infant.

Learn more about vaccines for adults»

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Individual components of MMR?

Q. I am concerned about my child’s upcoming appointment for MMR immunization, and I heard that it is available in individual components in the UK. Is the MMR vaccine available as individual components in the U.S.?

A. The MMR vaccine is not available as individual components in the U.S. However, the MMR vaccine has been studied by many scientists around the world and there is no indication that it causes autism, as originally purported by a doctor from the UK. This doctor was later found to have falsified data, so he lost his license to practice and his paper was removed by the journal that published it. His hypothesis has caused much damage; as a result, some parents did not vaccinate their children and some of those children were hospitalized or died.

Resources

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Booster vaccine for pertussis

Q. I received the DTP vaccine series as a child but have not received a booster for pertussis since then. Do I need one?

A. Yes. Adults who have not previously gotten the Tdap vaccine should receive a single dose. Some people are recommended to get the vaccine as soon as possible, including healthcare workers and people who will be in contact with infants. Pregnant women should get the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks’ gestation during each pregnancy because pertussis can be fatal to young infants.

Read about a mom who lost her 3-week-old baby when they both got pertussis»

The Tdap vaccine is also recommended for all adolescents 11 or 12 years old.

Learn more about the Tdap vaccine and the diseases it prevents»

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Minimum time between doses of vaccines

Q. My infant received vaccines at his 4-month check-up. He is scheduled to receive more vaccines at his 6-month check-up, but it is scheduled for only seven weeks from his last visit. Is this safe? 

A. Vaccines on the schedule are recommended to be given two months apart; however, all vaccines also have what are known as “minimum intervals.” These are the required amounts of time that must pass between doses of vaccine. They are determined when the vaccine is developed by studying the immune response to each dose to make sure that the response from a previous dose won’t interfere with the response to the next dose. For the vaccines typically given at 4 and 6 months of age, the minimum amount of time required is four weeks, so your son’s appointment will meet this standard.

Learn more about the vaccine schedule»

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Adolescence and the HPV vaccine

Q. My daughter is not sexually active. Why should I even consider getting her vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) now?

A. The HPV vaccine is recommended before the start of sexual activity for two reasons:

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