It is important to vaccinate infants
early and complete the full vaccination schedule from infancy to adulthood
because it reduces the spread of vaccine preventable diseases and outbreak
breaks. Thus protecting you and others (4).
On the CDC schedule there are 17 on
the standard vaccination schedule from birth to 18 years old (3):
- Diphtheria, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib disease, is a major cause of bacterial meningitis), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV is a major cause for cervical and other cancers), Influenza (Flu), Measles, Meningococcal, Mumps, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Pneumococcal (causes bacterial meningitis and blood infections), Polio, Rotavirus, Rubella (German Measles), Tetanus (Lockjaw), and Varicella (Chickenpox) (3).
- Meningococcal B is on the CDC schedule however, this vaccine will3 depend on the clinic or doctor’s office you go to and if they carry it (3). In addition to the 17 previously mentioned on the adult schedule there is an additional vaccine for Shingles (Herpes Zooster) for which there is an option for a live attenuated or recombinant vaccine (1)
Want to learn more about these
individually? Click here.
There are other vaccines available for:
Cholera – there is a vaccine for
cholera in the US that has been approved by the FDA called Vaxchora
(lyophilized CVD 103-HgR). It is a live attenuated vaccine and a single vaccine
for adults 18 -64 years’ old who are traveling to an area that has active
cholera transmission or is endemic. Endemic means that a place has regularly reported
outbreaks (7).
Rabies – There is a vaccine for
rabies, however, it is recommended for high risk groups such as veterinaries,
animal handlers, and certain laboratory workers. However, being vaccinated does
not mean that one should not seek immediate medical attention after being
exposed to rabies (9).
Anthrax – there is a vaccine available
to prevent anthrax, however, this is not typically available to the general
public and really only available for people who are at increased risk of coming
into contact with or have already came into contact with it (2).
Typhoid – There is a vaccine for
Typhoid fever that may help to prevent it, however the CDC only recommends this
vaccine to people who are travelling to places where typhoid fever is common,
such as South Asia, India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. There are two types
available in the US. The oral vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine able to
given to people at least 6 years of age and consist of four pills that need to
be taken every other day and should be finished at least 1 week before travel. There
is an injectable vaccine that is an inactivated type and is able to be given to
people at least to people at least 2 years of age and should be given at least
2 weeks before travel. However, keep in that the vaccine is not 100% effective
and the CDC recommends to practice safe eating and drinking habits to help
prevent infection. Either way if someone does get vaccinated the vaccine losses
its effectiveness over and boosters are required every 2 years for the injectable
and every 5 years for the oral vaccine (8).
Tuberculosis – There is a vaccine
called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for tuberculosis (TB). However, in the
united states it is not used in the US, but it is given to infants and children
in other countries where TB is common. This vaccine does not always protect
people from contracting TB and immunity wears off. However, the BCG vaccine is
recommended for health care workers who may might chance of coming into with
them. Since there is a high percentage of TB patients with TB strains that
resistant drug resistant (10).
Yellow fever – There is a safe and
effective yellow fever vaccine that has been available for more than 80 years
and recommended for those ages 9 months or older and are traveling or living in
areas with high risks for yellow in Africa and South America. Sometimes this
vaccine may be required in order to enter certain countries. The vaccine itself
is a live attenuated form of the virus and only is one shot (10).
Ebola – the FDA approved the first Ebola
vaccine called Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) on December 19, 2019. The vaccine is a
single dose vaccine and has been found to be safe. The vaccine protects against
only Zaire ebolavirus species of
ebolavirus and not the others (4).
Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, February 03). Adult Immunization Schedule by Vaccine and Age Group. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/adult.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, November 22). Anthrax Vaccination. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/anthrax/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, February 03). Birth-18 Years Immunization Schedule. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, November 15). Prevention and Vaccine. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/prevention/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, March 15). Vaccines. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/vaccines.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, July 12). Vaccines: Vac-Gen/10 Things You Need to Know. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/10-shouldknow.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, May 15). Vaccines. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/vaccines.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, January 03). Vaccination. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/typhoid-vaccination.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, March 10). Vaccines: VPD-VAC/Rabies/main page. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rabies/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, January 06). Yellow Fever Vaccine. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/vaccine/index.html
