Info sheets

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated its information sheet about HPV, and the childhood immunizations “basics” disease fact sheets offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) were recently updated.

  • Observed Rate of Vaccine Reactions: Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, offered by the WHO, was updated in December 2017. This 13-page downloadable document may be helpful in conversations with parents. Page 1 includes the following statement, “As at June 2017, it is estimated that over 270 million doses of HPV vaccine have been distributed. Post-licensure surveillance data concerning the safety profiles for each of the HPV vaccine brands have detected no serious safety issues to date except rare reports of anaphylaxis.” The document includes reviews of minor and severe adverse events, including a discussion of adverse event concerns that have been described in the media, but for which no evidence of causation exists. Data tables and a list of references are also included. Additional WHO Vaccine Reaction Rates documents are also available on their website.
  • Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them — Offered through a collaborative effort of the CDC, AAP and AAFP, these fact sheets are available in two versions — “disease basics” and “in-depth information.” The former are available in English and Spanish; the latter, in English only. The more detailed versions are designed in a narrative style and include true stories of families affected by the disease; however, these versions will be discontinued in the spring of 2018.

Updated VISs

The CDC recently released or updated the following Vaccine Information Statements (VISs):

The most current versions of all of the above have the date 2/12/18. Please make sure you are handing out the most current versions of these and all VISs by visiting the CDC’s related page.

The CDC also updated the vaccine labels for Shingrix and Zostavax in the Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit.

Free online course

Last fall, we told you about a free edX online course titled “Viruses & How to Beat Them: Cells, Immunity, Vaccines.” The course, offered by Professor Jonathan Gershoni from Tel Aviv University, will run again beginning on March 5, 2018. Reviews from the first offering of the course suggest that it is useful for addressing the misinformation and lack of knowledge surrounding vaccines and the immune system, including comments such as:

  • “The additional readings and the forum discussion kept me modest. I learned a lot but I also realize how complex this field is and that this is just a small overview.” — Anonymous
  • “The course made it possible for me to surf the internet more intelligently …” — Anonymous

The course is also available in a self-paced video-on-demand version.

Learn more, read reviews, register or share information with parents, families or colleagues who may be interested.

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Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.