Childhood Immunizations Facts
- Children should have 80 percent of their immunizations by age two.
- Infants are often more vulnerable to disease than older children and adults,
and often the diseases are more serious in infants than in older
children.
- Many diseases that can be prevented have no cure or treatment.
- A disease may not currently be present in a community, but disease outbreaks
can and do occur when populations are not protected. With frequent international
travel, diseases from other parts of the world are literally only a plane ride
away.
- Immunizations save money. Diseases that can be prevented cost 16 times more
in medical-related expenses than the vaccine that prevents the disease. The
nationwide 1989-1991 measles outbreak caused 44,000 days of hospitalization
resulting in $100 million in direct medical costs. This does not include direct
costs to families, such as lost days of work, school, and child care.
The following eleven serious childhood diseases are preventable and vaccines
against these are recommended for children 0-6 years of age:
- Hepatitis B.
- Rotavirus.
- Diphtheria.
- Tetanus.
- Pertussis (whooping cough).
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
- Pneumococcal.
- Polio.
- Influenza.
- Measles.
- Mumps.
- Rubella.
- Varicella
- Hepatitis A.
- Meningococcal.
Last Update:
05/21/2009 06:18 PM
