What Vaccines Should You and Your Family Have?

Many diseases can be prevented by
getting vaccinated against them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
vaccination schedules that you and your family can follow to make sure you are protected.
Getting vaccines when advised may help prevent the spread of these diseases.

Specific vaccine recommendations vary by your age, where you live, and the risk factors you may have.

Many basic vaccines are often given in
combination to reduce the number of injections needed. The following diseases may be
prevented by following the CDC guidelines for vaccines:

• Diphtheria. This is a serious
  disease caused by a poison (toxin) made by bacteria. It may damage the heart, lungs
  and nerves. It can be fatal.

• Haemophilus influenzae type B
  (Hib). This is a bacterial infection that leads to serious conditions such as
  meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis.

• Hepatitis A. This is a viral
  disease of the liver. You can get it by eating food or drinking water contaminated
  with feces. Or you can get it by coming in contact with someone who has the
  infection. Symptoms may include upset stomach, extreme tiredness (fatigue), and
  yellowing of the skin (jaundice). But some people have no symptoms. This is
  especially true in younger children.

• Hepatitis B (hep B). This type
  of hepatitis is spread through blood and other body fluids. It is also spread in
  childbirth from an infected mother. Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, digestive
  problems, joint pain, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. Symptoms can last from
  weeks to months. Hepatitis B is more severe than hepatitis A because hepatitis B can
  become long-term (chronic). This can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. 

• HPV. This is a very common
  sexually transmitted disease. It can cause genital warts. It can lead to cervical
  cancer and other less common but serious cancers.

• Flu (influenza). This is a
  highly contagious disease that affects your lungs. It is caused by different strains
  of flu viruses. The flu causes mild to severe illness. It may lead to pneumonia and
  can be deadly in some cases.

• Measles (rubeola). Measles is a
  highly contagious viral infection. It causes fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash all
  over the body.

• Meningococcal meningitis. This
  is a severe bacterial infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal
  cord (meninges). It can be life-threatening. Symptoms can include fever, headache, a
  stiff neck, nausea, and mental confusion.

• Mumps. Mumps is a virus that
  causes a painful infection in the salivary or parotid glands. It sometimes affects
  other areas of the body. In rare cases, it can cause sterility in men.

• Pertussis (whooping cough). This is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It causes severe, high-pitched coughing spasms that continue for long periods.

• Pneumococcal pneumonia. This is a serious lung infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae.

• Polio. This is a highly
  infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system. Symptoms may include a
  flu-like illness and stiffness in the neck and back, with pain in the arms and legs.
  In the worst case, the infection can cause lifelong (permanent) paralysis, often in
  the legs.

• Rotavirus. This is a highly contagious virus. It is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in children.

• Rubella (German measles). This is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Symptoms include a rash and fever. It can cause birth defects if a woman who is pregnant catches it.

• Tetanus (lockjaw). This is a
  disease of the nervous system caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani.
  Symptoms include painful muscle contractions. These contractions can progress to
  seizure-like motion and nervous system disorders.

• Varicella (chickenpox). This is a contagious disease caused
  by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes a skin rash. It is most common in
  children.

• Shingles (zoster). This is a painful skin rash with
  blisters caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes
  chickenpox. After a chickenpox infection, the virus remain for life in nerve cells.
  It can come back years later as shingles.