Your Child's First Vaccines: What You Need to Know
The vaccines included on this statement are likely to be given at
the same time during infancy and early childhood. There are separate
Vaccine Information Statements for other vaccines that are
also routinely recommended for young children (measles, mumps,
rubella, varicella, rotavirus, influenza, and hepatitis A).
Your child is getting these vaccines today:
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____DTaP
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____Hib
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____Hepatitis B
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____PCV
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____Polio
(Provider: Check appropriate boxes)
Why get vaccinated?
Vaccines can prevent disease. Childhood vaccination is essential
because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to
potentially life-threatening diseases.
Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
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Diphtheria (D) can lead to difficulty breathing, heart
failure, paralysis, or death.
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Tetanus (T) causes painful stiffening of the muscles.
Tetanus can lead to serious health problems, including being
unable to open the mouth, having trouble swallowing and breathing,
or death.
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Pertussis (aP), also known as “whooping cough,” can cause
uncontrollable, violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe,
eat, or drink. Pertussis can be extremely serious, especially in
babies and young children, causing pneumonia, convulsions, brain
damage, or death.
Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) disease
Haemophilus influenzae type b can cause many
different kinds of infections. Hib bacteria can cause mild illness,
such as ear infections or bronchitis, or they can cause severe
illness, such as infections of the blood. Hib infection can also
cause pneumonia; severe swelling in the throat, making it hard to
breathe; and infections of the blood, joints, bones, and covering of
the heart. Severe Hib infection, also called “invasive Hib disease,”
requires treatment in a hospital and can sometimes result in death.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a liver disease that can cause mild illness
lasting a few weeks, or it can lead to a serious, lifelong illness.
Acute hepatitis B infection is a short-term illness that can lead to
fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow
skin or eyes, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements), and pain in
the muscles, joints, and stomach. Chronic hepatitis B infection is a
long-term illness that occurs when the hepatitis B virus remains in
a person’s body. Most people who go on to develop chronic hepatitis
B do not have symptoms, but it is still very serious and can lead to
liver damage (cirrhosis), liver cancer, and death.
Pneumococcal disease (PCV)
Pneumococcal disease refers to any illness caused by
pneumococcal bacteria. These bacteria can cause many types of
illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs.
Besides pneumonia, pneumococcal bacteria can also cause ear
infections, sinus infections, meningitis (infection of the tissue
covering the brain and spinal cord), and bacteremia (infection of
the blood). Most pneumococcal infections are mild. However, some can
result in long-term problems, such as brain damage or hearing loss.
Meningitis, bacteremia, and pneumonia caused by pneumococcal disease
can be fatal.
Polio
Polio (or poliomyelitis) is a disabling and life-threatening
disease caused by poliovirus, which can infect a person’s spinal
cord, leading to paralysis. Most people infected with poliovirus
have no symptoms, and many recover without complications. Some
people infected with poliovirus will experience sore throat, fever,
tiredness, nausea, headache, or stomach pain, and most people with
these symptoms will also recover without complications. A smaller
group of people will develop more serious symptoms: paresthesia
(feeling of pins and needles in the legs), meningitis (infection of
the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain), or paralysis (can’t
move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both.
Paralysis can lead to permanent disability and death.
DTaP, Hib, hepatitis B, pneumococcal conjugate, and polio vaccines
Infants and children usually need:
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5 doses of
diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP)
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3 or 4 doses of Hib vaccine
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3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine
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4 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)
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4 doses of polio vaccine
Some children might need fewer or more than the usual number of
doses of some vaccines to have the best protection because of their
age at vaccination or other circumstances.
Older children, adolescents, and adults with certain health
conditions or other risk factors or who did not get vaccinated
earlier might also be recommended to receive 1 or more doses of some
of these vaccines.
These vaccines are given as either stand-alone vaccines or as part
of a combination vaccine (a type of vaccine that combines more than
one vaccine together into one shot).
Talk with your health care provider
Tell your vaccination provider if the child getting the vaccine:
For all of these vaccines:
For DTaP:
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Has had an
allergic reaction after a previous dose of any vaccine that
protects against diphtheria, tetanus, or pertussis
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Has had a
coma, decreased level of consciousness, or prolonged seizures
within 7 days after a previous dose of any pertussis vaccine
(DTP or DTaP)
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Has seizures or another nervous system problem
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Has ever had Guillain-Barré Syndrome (also called "GBS")
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Has had
severe pain or swelling after a previous dose of any vaccine
that protects against diphtheria or tetanus
For PCV:
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Has had an
allergic reaction after a previous dose of any type of
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13, PCV15, PCV20, or an
earlier pneumococcal conjugate vaccine known as PCV7), or to any
vaccine containing diphtheria toxoid
(for example, DTaP)
In some cases, your child's health care provider may decide to
postpone vaccination until a future visit.
Children with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated.
Children who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait
until they recover before being vaccinated.
Your child's health care provider can give you more information.
Risks of a vaccine reaction
For all of these vaccines:
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Soreness, redness, swelling, warmth, pain, or tenderness where the
shot is given can happen after vaccination.
For DTaP vaccine, Hib vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, and PCV:
For DTaP vaccine:
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Fussiness, feeling tired, loss of appetite, and vomiting sometimes
happen after DTaP vaccination.
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More serious reactions, such as seizures, non-stop crying for 3
hours or more, or high fever (over 105°F) after DTaP vaccination
happen much less often. Rarely, vaccination is followed by
swelling of the entire arm or leg, especially in older children
when they receive their fourth or fifth dose.
For PCV:
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Loss of appetite, fussiness (irritability), feeling tired,
headache, and chills can happen after PCV vaccination.
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Young children may be at increased risk for seizures caused by
fever after a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine if it is administered
at the same time as inactivated influenza vaccine. Ask your health
care provider for more information.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine
causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
What if there is a serious problem?
An allergic reaction could occur after the vaccinated person leaves
the clinic. If you see signs of a severe allergic reaction (hives,
swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast
heartbeat, dizziness, or weakness), call 9-1-1 and get the
person to the nearest hospital.
For other signs that concern you, call your health care provider.
Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event
Reporting System (VAERS). Your health care provider will usually
file this report, or you can do it yourself. Visit the VAERS website
at www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967.
VAERS is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff members do
not give medical advice.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal
program that was created to compensate people who may have been
injured by certain vaccines. Claims regarding alleged injury or
death due to vaccination have a time limit for filing, which may be
as short as two years. Visit the VICP website at
www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation or call
1-800-338-2382 to learn about the program and about filing a
claim.
How can I learn more?
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Ask your health care provider.
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Call your local or state health department.
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Visit the website of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
vaccine package inserts and additional information at
www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines.
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Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Vaccine Information Statement
Multi Pediatric Vaccines
7/24/2023
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-26
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Many vaccine information statements are available in Spanish and
other languages. See www.immunize.org/vis
Hojas de información sobre vacunas están disponibles en español y en
muchos otros idiomas. Visite www.immunize.org/vis
Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare
professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or
this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Ignite
Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use
of this information.