Vaccinations are common during childhood but they're also somewhat controversial. According to KidsHealth website, some parents fear the effects of vaccine in the body and as a result question the idea of vaccinating their children. If you're...
Before the introduction of the polio vaccine, an average of 16,316 people in the U.S. contracted polio every year, but in 2008 not a single person living in the U.S. contracted the disease, according to the National Institute of Allergy and...
Vaccines help to prevent diseases and save lives. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccines are "the most successful medical advances of all time." Prior to vaccines, children were dying of diseases such as polio, whooping cough...
A vaccine is a suspension of weakened disease-causing organisms that are given to a person to stimulate his immune system and thus protect him against the disease caused by the organism. Required vaccines for children entering school vary among...
Vaccines are generally required in order for children to enter public school and attend child care programs. A medical waiver not to vaccinate can be signed and utilized in some school districts. As a parent or caregiver, you should know what...
According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, vaccines have reduced or eliminated many of the diseases that once killed or disabled people in the past. However, vaccines are not without some risks. To ensure your child's safety,...
According to Harvard Medical School, Edward Jenner who was a country physician from England created the first vaccine in 1796. Jenner developed the small pox vaccine, which changed the course of this deadly disease. Since that time, many other...
Mumps once was considered a normal childhood illness, but it is a serious disease that can lead to severe complications. Media attention in 2009 focused on a mumps outbreak in New York that affected kids who previously were vaccinated against the...
The risks of not vaccinating children include exposing your children to a variety of severe diseases. It is the choice of the parents whether to vaccinate their children. Consult a doctor, pediatrician or an immunization coordinator at your local...
If your child develops a rash following immunization, don't panic. It is not a sign that your child has contracted the disease against which he has been recently immunized. Vaccines can cause side effects. These are usually minor and last a few...
Getting immunized against mumps can save your life. Those who get two doses of mumps vaccine are about nine times less likely to get mumps than those who aren't vaccinated. It is still possible get mumps if you've been vaccinated. But if you are...
Before the development of the chicken pox vaccination, varicella infected approximately 4 million people -- mostly children -- each year just in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chicken...
The flu vaccine is recommended for protection against the seasonal influenza virus. The influenza virus is easily spread through person-to-person contact. The influenza shot is recommended during flu season, which begins in September and lasts...
For many years vaccinations have helped prevent numerous diseases and deaths of children. These pediatric vaccines, usually given as shots or by mouth, were appreciated and welcomed by many parents. A concern has been, however, on the possible...
There are many ways to protect your 1-year-old from injury and harm. One is to get your child vaccinated. Vaccination not only protects children from illness and disease, it also boosts their immune system. This protects the general public, as...
Hook, line and sinker--fish are mercury magnets! EPA studies indicate that "virtually every fish sample tested from lakes and oceans across the United States was contaminated with mercury." The conundrum remains: do the benefits outweigh the...
While there is no one cure or prevention of autism, genetics and environmental factors seem to increase the risk of autism. Autism is a spectrum of developmental disabilities that cause social, behavioral and communication problems. There is hope...
Children aren't miniature adults who only need to see a doctor when they're sick. Regular check-ups are a must in order to stay on top of your child's health. Children's bodies go through many changes, so a pediatrician monitors growth and...
Getting vaccines is no picnic, either for your or your child. As the parent of a 14-month-old, you know how stressful vaccination time can be for both of you. Even worse than the tears following the shots are the days of discomfort that can occur...
The immune system is like an army on the front lines against disease. Our immune system consists of proteins, special cells and tissues and protects us from germs that cause illness. Through a series of events called the immune response, these...
German measles is a viral disease, and it's transmitted the same way many viruses pass from one person to another: through close physical contact. You might contract the rubella virus that causes German measles through contact with an infected...
Immunizations are an integral part of a person's health plan. According to the Kids Health Organization, some parents hesitate to have children vaccinated. Routine vaccines are unlikely to cause any serious illness, although some may cause mild...
Tuberculosis or TB is a deadly infectious disease caused by strains of mycobacteria, a parasitic bacterium transmitted from person to person, primarily though inhalation of aerosols dispersed by the coughing and sneezing of infected individuals....
Keeping your baby's immune system strong and healthy is the best way to prevent infections from any of the millions of germs she is exposed to every day. A strong immune system will also reduce your baby's chances of suffering an adverse vaccine...
Vaccines prepare a child's body to fight illness, according to KidsHealth.org. When your child receives a vaccination, he receives dead or weakened germs, or parts of them. As the body practices fighting these germs, it creates antibodies that...
A pneumococcal vaccine is an injectable treatment administered to patients to help prevent pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia or meningitis. There are two types of this vaccine: conjugate and polysaccharide. The conjugate pneumococcal...
While various studies report no connection between autism and vaccines, parents continue to disagree. Many parents of children with autism believe there is a connection, commonly noting regression in their child after receiving vaccines. There is...
Immunization was one of the top medical advancements of the 20th century because it led to a dramatic decline in the incidence of serious childhood illnesses. Vaccines prevented diseases that once caused death in children, including measles and...
Hepatitis B is a liver disease that causes inflammation and injury to the cells of the liver. Hepatitis B can be contracted through mother to child transmission, sexual contact with an infected partner or through contaminated needles. If left...