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Vaccines and Your Baby Video Series
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How the Hib Vaccine Has Helped Alleviate Meningitis
The Hib bacteria can cause meningitis, an infection of the spinal cord and brain. The Hib vaccine has eliminated tens of thousands of cases of Hib every year and is recommended by pediatricians.
In this video series, physicians at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia explain how vaccines work and how they are made. The video also describes several vaccines and the diseases they prevent. Families share their stories of children affected by vaccine-preventable diseases.
Videos in this Series
- Introduction: Vaccines and Your Baby
- Before the Chickenpox Vaccine
- How Vaccinations Cause Immunity to Infectious Diseases
- What is a Virus in the Body?
- How the Chickenpox Vaccine Works
- Why the Hepatitis B Vaccine Is Important
- Why the Pneumococcal Vaccine Is Important
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How the Hib Vaccine Has Helped Alleviate Meningitis - What the DTaP Vaccine Is and Diseases It Prevents
- The MMR Vaccine Prevents Three Viruses
- The Importance of the Polio Vaccine
- Do Vaccines Have Side Effects?
- How are Vaccines Tested for Safety?
- Can Babies Handle Vaccines So Young?
Transcript: How the Hib Vaccine Has Helped Alleviate Meningitis
Paul A. Offit, MD: Hib vaccine was first used in the late 1980s. At that time the Hib bacteria was the most common cause of meningitis in this country. During my training, I saw children come into the hospital every week with meningitis caused by Hib. Some of these children were left blind, deaf, or learning disabled. Because Hib and pneumococcal bacteria are very similar, the Hib vaccine is made in the exact same way as the pneumococcal vaccine. Now, because of the Hib vaccine, we no longer have tens of thousands of cases of Hib every year. Young doctors in training don't have to see what I saw.
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