Vaccine Information Statements

Vaccines help prevent people from getting sick. There are many kinds of vaccines. Each vaccine is made up of parts of weakened or killed bacteria or viruses of a specific disease. After you have a vaccine, your body's immune system makes antibodies to fight the disease. If you are exposed to the same disease in the future, the antibodies kill the bacteria or viruses before they have a chance to make you sick.

If you get a vaccine, it may not completely prevent you from getting a disease, but it makes it much less likely. If you get a disease even after you have been vaccinated, it usually will be only a mild case.

Vaccines are usually given by shot (injection). Some are given by mouth as a pill or liquid, or by a spray (aerosol) into the nose. Vaccines are also called immunizations.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other national organizations advise people about which vaccines they should get and when. Immunization schedules are for healthy children, teens, and adults as well as people with health problems and other circumstances, including pregnancy, asthma, or diabetes.

To see a list of recommended shots based on your child's birth date, go to the CDC interactive Web site at http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le. To see what shots you or your teen may need, go to the CDC interactive Web site at http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched.

Children and teens in the United States usually need proof that all their immunizations are up to date before they can start school or day care. Also, students of any age entering college usually need to have a written record showing that their immunizations are up to date.

For more information on when to get vaccines, see the topic Immunizations.

The CDC may advise certain immunizations for people who are going to travel to a foreign country. For more information, see the topic Travel Health.

Online Resource

Organization

• Immunizations

Other Works Consulted

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Recommended adult immunization schedule—United States, October 2007–September 2008. MMWR, 56(41): Q1–Q4.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Recommended immunization schedules for persons aged 0–18 years—United States, 2007. MMWR, 55(51 and 52): Q1–Q4. Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm5551-Immunization.pdf. [Erratum in MMWR, 56(02): 32. Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5602a6.htm.]