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We have record or near record low levels of vaccine preventable childhood
diseases in the United States, but that does not mean these have
disappeared. Many of the viruses and bacteria are still circulating in this
country or are only a plane ride away. That’s why it’s important that
children, especially infants and young children, receive recommended
immunizations on time. In our mobile society, over a million people each day
people travel to and from other countries, including countries where many
vaccine preventable diseases remain relatively common. Without vaccines,
epidemics of many preventable diseases could return, resulting in
increased– and unnecessary– illness, disability, and death among
children.
The following vaccine-preventable diseases, not long ago, disabled and
killed millions of American children. Thanks to our country’s high
childhood immunization coverage levels, these diseases are now very
uncommon.
Diphtheria
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused by
bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Gradual onset of a sore throat
and low-grade fever |
| Complications |
Airway obstruction, coma, and
death if not treated |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Diphtheria toxoid (contained in DTP,
DTaP, DT or Td vaccines) can prevent this disease. |
Haemophilus influenzae
type b (Hib)
| Description |
A severe bacterial infection,
occurring primarily in infants |
| Symptoms |
Skin and throat infections, meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and
arthritis (Can be serious in
children under age 1, but there is little risk of getting the disease
after age 5) |
| Complications |
Hib meningitis (death in one out
of 20 children, and permanent
brain damage in 10% - 30%
of the survivors) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Hib vaccine can prevent
this disease. |
Hepatitis A
| Description |
A disease of the liver caused by
hepatitis A virus |
| Symptoms |
Potentially none (likelihood of symptoms increases with the person's
age)
If present: yellow skin or
eyes, tiredness, stomach ache, loss of appetite, or nausea |
| Complications |
Because young children
might not have symptoms, the disease is often not recognized until the
child's caregiver becomes ill with hepatitis A. |
| Transmission |
Most often: spread by
the fecal-oral route (An object contaminated with the stool of a
person with hepatitis A is put into another person's mouth.)
Less often: spread by
swallowing food or water that contains the virus |
| Vaccine |
Hepatitis A vaccine will
prevent this disease. |
Hepatitis B
| Description |
A disease of the liver caused by
hepatitis B virus |
| Symptoms |
Potentially none when first
infected (likelihood of early symptoms increases with the
person's age)
If present: yellow skin or eyes, tiredness, stomach
ache, loss of appetite, nausea, or joint pain |
| Complications |
The younger the person, the
greater the likelihood of staying infected and having life-long liver
problems, such as scarring of the liver and liver cancer |
| Transmission |
Spread through contact with the
blood of an infected person or by having sex with an infected person |
| Vaccine |
Hepatitis B vaccine is
will prevent this disease. |
Measles
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused by
a virus |
| Symptoms |
Measles virus causes rash, high
fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, lasting about a week. |
| Complications |
Diarrhea, ear infections,
pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures, and death |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing (highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Measles vaccine (contained in
MMR, MR and measles vaccines) can prevent this disease. |
Mumps
| Description |
A disease of the lymph nodes
caused by a virus |
| Symptoms |
Fever, headache, muscle ache,
and swelling of the lymph nodes close to the jaw |
| Complications |
Meningitis, inflammation of the
testicles or ovaries, inflammation of the pancreas and deafness
(usually permanent) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Mumps vaccine (contained in MMR)
can prevent this disease. |
Pertussis
(whooping cough)
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused by
bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Severe spasms of coughing that
can interfere with eating, drinking, and breathing |
| Complications |
Pneumonia, encephalitis (due to
lack of oxygen), and death, especially in infants. |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing (highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Pertussis vaccine (contained in
DTP and DTaP) can prevent this disease. |
Polio
| Description |
A disease of the lymphatic and
nervous systems |
| Symptoms |
Fever, sore throat, nausea,
headaches, stomach aches, and stiffness in the neck, back, and legs |
| Complications |
Paralysis that can lead to
permanent disability and death |
| Transmission |
Contact with an infected person |
| Vaccine |
Polio vaccine (IPV) can prevent this disease. |
Rubella
(German measles)
| Description |
A respiratory disease caused by
a virus |
| Symptoms |
Rash and fever for two to three
days ( mild disease in
children and young adults) |
| Complications |
Birth defects if acquired by a
pregnant woman: deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental
retardation, and liver and spleen damage (at least a 20% chance of damage to the
fetus if a woman is infected early in pregnancy) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing |
| Vaccine |
Rubella vaccine (contained in
MMR vaccine) can prevent this disease. |
Tetanus
(lockjaw)
| Description |
A disease of the nervous system
caused by a bacteria |
| Symptoms |
Early symptoms:
lockjaw, stiffness in the neck and abdomen, and difficulty swallowing
Later symptoms: fever,
elevated blood pressure, and severe muscle spasms |
| Complications |
Death in one third of the cases,
especially people over age 50 |
| Transmission |
Enters the body through a break
in the skin |
| Vaccine |
Tetanus toxoid (contained in
DTP, DT, DTaP & Td vaccines) can prevent this disease. |
Varicella
(chickenpox)
| Description |
A virus of the herpes family |
| Symptoms |
A skin rash of blister-like
lesions, usually on the face, scalp, or trunk |
| Complications |
Bacterial infection of
the skin, swelling of the brain, and pneumonia (usually more severe in
children 13 or older and adults) |
| Transmission |
Spread by coughing and sneezing (highly contagious) |
| Vaccine |
Varicella vaccine can
prevent this disease. |
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