Vaccination standards are constantly changing. Even doctors can have a hard time keeping up with the latest recommendations made by the government and school districts. It's even harder for parents to keep abreast of all the shots their children need.

This section briefly covers the basics of each vaccine. For more extensive information, your doctor can provide you with a handout called the vaccine information sheet (or simply VIS). Request this from your doctor during each immunization visit.

Inevitably, by the time this book reaches the bookstore shelves, the following information will have changed. The best way to stay up to date on your child's vaccination needs is to communicate regularly with your pediatrician. Most doctors keep information on all the shots your child needs in the office.

DTaP Vaccine

This is a combination vaccine that consists of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Diphtheria is a respiratory infection that can cause heart and nerve damage in children. It is relatively rare now, after the vaccine initiative that started decades ago. Tetanus is a deadly bacterial infection that can be contracted from a contaminated wound. Once the infection is established, it is often fatal. Pertussis is commonly known as whooping cough. It causes a prolonged cough in older children and adults, but it can be deadly for infants. The “a” in DTaP stands for “acellular.” It describes a new method in vaccine manufacturing. This combination vaccine is given four times, starting at the age of two months until the age of four.

A fifth booster shot has recently been introduced that is designed to protect adolescents from whooping cough and tetanus. Ask your teenager's doctor if she might need this booster.

IPV

This is the “inactivated” polio vaccine, which means that unlike the original polio vaccine, it contains no live polio virus. As a result of a successful childhood immunization program, polio has been effectively wiped out in developed countries. However, this vaccine is still necessary due to sporadic areas of outbreak around the world. Today's global travel makes it a distinct possibility that this virus could make a comeback if vaccination against it were halted. There are four total shots in this series of vaccine.

Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B is mostly transmitted from pregnant or breastfeeding mothers to their babies. It can also be transmitted sexually and through blood transfusions. Hepatitis B is the number-one cause of liver failure in the world, and it causes the most liver cancer. There are three shots in this series.

Hepatitis A Vaccine

Even though hepatitis A is not as deadly as hepatitis B or C, it can still be debilitating. This infection is transmitted through contaminated foods. It's a frequent cause of dehydration and even hospitalization for travelers. A total of two shots is necessary to protect your child from this infection.

Hib Vaccine

Hib stands for “hemophilus influenza type b.” It used to be a common cause of bacterial meningitis, which is a serious and often deadly infection of the brain. This bacterium can also cause pneumonia and another infection involving the back of the throat. Infections from this bacterium have become increasingly rare now, due to the effective protection offered by this vaccine. There are four shots in this vaccine series.

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcus is a bacterium that commonly causes infection of the brain and lungs. It is also a common cause of blood infection and ear infection. Since the introduction of this vaccine, brain infection resulting from this bacterium has become rare. There are five shots in this series.

MMR Vaccine

MMR stands for “measles, mumps, and rubella.” All three used to be common viral infections in children, but this vaccine has dramatically reduced the number of children afflicted with these infections. There are two shots in this series.

The Chickenpox Shot

Obviously, this vaccine is designed to protect children from chickenpox. Until recently, only one shot was recommended for most children. Extensive research has shown that a second booster may be necessary to more effectively protect children from this infection. The two shots need to be administered at least two months apart.

Tetanus Booster

The tetanus booster is given once every ten years to everyone, including adults. If your adolescent is over the age of eleven and has not had a tetanus shot in the last five years, it's time for him to get this booster. Starting in 2005, a whooping cough vaccine component was added to the tetanus booster for adolescents. It's called the Tdap (not to be confused with DTaP).

Meningococcal Vaccine

This is a new vaccine introduced in 2006. Meningococcal infection is a life-threatening infection that is common among older teens. It can be rapidly progressive, killing its victim in less than twenty-four hours after the first sign of infection. As a result, this vaccine is recommended for all teenagers, starting from age eleven.

The Rotavirus Vaccine

The rotavirus vaccine was introduced toward the end of 2006. It protects infants from rotavirus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. Even though this infection is usually not deadly, it is perhaps one of the most common causes of dehydration and hospitalization for infants during the winter. This vaccine is given orally in a liquid form. There are a total of three doses for this vaccine.

HPV Vaccine

HPV stands for “human papilloma virus.” Certain strains of this virus are believed to contribute to the development of cervical cancer. It is recommended that girls from the age of nine to twenty-six get this vaccine. There are three shots in the series.

The recommendation for this vaccine has generated much controversy because it protects children from a sexually transmitted disease. Some groups claim that this vaccine encourages adolescents to behave promiscuously, but most parents are receptive to this vaccine.