The 14 Diseases Vaccines Made Us Forget About

Vaccines have played a major role in protecting individuals and communities against outbreaks of diseases. They work with your immune system to prevent disease.

What is a Vaccine?

A vaccine is a product that produces immunity from a disease. It can be administered through needle injections, by mouth, or through aerosol.

1. Polio

This crippling and potentially fatal disease is caused by the polio virus, which can spread person-to-person and can invade a person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. The disease was eliminated from the United States with the polio vaccine. The vaccine has kept the United States polio-free. It is still a threat in some countries though.

It is recommended that the polio vaccine (IPV) is administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 through 18 months, and 4 through 6 years.

2. Mumps

People affected by mumps generally have puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw, which is due to swelling in the salivary glands. Fever, head and muscle aches, and tiredness, are other symptoms of mumps. Mumps is contagious and no treatment is available. People in the United States still get mumps, every year. Mumps outbreaks have occurred in various settings where an extended presence, with infected people, has been. The vaccine that is used to protect people from mumps is the MMR vaccine, which protects you against mumps, measles, and rubella.

3. Diphtheria

Diphtheria’s nearly forgotten about, thanks to the diphtheria vaccinations babies get. The vaccine is called DTaP, which supplies protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Diphtheria does still exist, though it is preventable. It causes a thick covering in the back of the nose and throat. The disease can cause difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and in some cases, death.

It is recommended for best protection from the disease that children get five doses of the DTaP vaccine. The vaccine is administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 through 18 months, and 4 through 6 years.

4. Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough is a very contagious disease, which can be deadly for babies. It is known for its violent and uncontrollable coughing. It can make it hard to breath. A sharp breath, after the cough, is why the disease is called whooping cough. It is very dangerous when babies get whooping cough, because it can cause life-threatening pauses in breathing, with no sound at all.

Mothers are recommended to get the whooping cough vaccination while pregnant, which passes the protection along to the babies before birth. It is highly recommended that babies get the vaccine on time, so they can start building protection against the disease. Every state, since 2010 has reported a case of whooping cough and there have been between 10,000 and 50,000 cases reported nationwide, since then.

5. Chickenpox

Chickenpox cause an itchy rash of blisters, along with a fever. An infected person may have as many as 500 blisters all over their body. This disease can be serious and even life-threatening, especially in babies, adults and those with weakened immune systems.

It is recommended that children get two doses of the chickenpox shot, for best protection. The dose is administered at the following ages: 12 through 15 months and 4 through 6 years.

6. Pneumococcal Disease

Bacteria called streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacteria that causes pneumococcal disease. The disease causes ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia, and also meningitis, which makes it very dangerous for children. The spinal cord and brain, which are usually free of germs, can be infected by this disease.

It is recommended that children get four doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for best protection. Doses are to be administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and between 12 and 15 months.

7. Measles

An individual can be infected with measles, by simply being in a room where someone with measles has been, even if the infected individual hasn’t been in the room for up to two hours. Individuals who travel can bring the disease into the United States, since the disease is common in other parts of the world.

It is recommended that children get two doses of the MMR shot, for best protection. The vaccine should be administered at the following ages: 12 through 15 months and 4 through 6 years.

Before travelling abroad, infants 5 to 11-months-old should have one dose of the MMR shot. If an infant is vaccinated before 12 months of age, they should be re-vaccinated on or after their first birthday, with two doses, separated by at least 28 days.

8. Rotavirus

The rotavirus is contagious and can cause severe diarrhea, often with vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain, occurring mostly in infants and young people. Infected individuals can become severely dehydrated and need to be hospitalized, due to the disease. This vaccine is one of the first that an infant can get and is the best way to protect against the rotavirus.

9. Hib

Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) isn’t very well known, thanks to the vaccine. Hib can do serious damage to the immune system though. It can cause brain damage, hearing loss and even death. It mostly affects kids under 5-years-old. Over 20,000 kids were infected each year, before the vaccine was introduced. Of those infected, one in five suffered brain damage or became deaf. Even if treated, one in 20 infected with Hib meningitis, dies.

It is recommended that children are administered four doses of the vaccine, for best protection. One dose of the vaccine will be administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 through 15 months.

10. Rubella

Coughing and sneezing spreads rubella. The disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women and their developing babies. The woman could have a miscarriage, or the baby could die just after birth, if the woman is not vaccinated and gets infected. If infected, the pregnant woman could pass the disease along to her developing baby, which could cause severe birth defects.

It is recommended that two doses of the MMR vaccine should be administered at the following ages: 12 through 15 months and 4 through 6 years.

11. Hepatitis A

The vaccine for Hepatitis A was developed in 1995. Since then, the number of cases in the United States has decreased dramatically. The disease is contagious and affects the liver. It can be transmitted through contaminated food and water or through person-to-person contact.

It is recommended that the Hepatitis A vaccine is administered at the following ages: the first dose at 12 through 23 months and the second dose 6 to 18 months after the first.

12. Hepatitis B

More than 780,000 people die a year from complications of Hepatitis B. The disease is transmitted through bodily fluids, but can live for seven days without a host. Many moms with Hepatitis B don’t even know they are infected, which can be very dangerous for babies. Nine out of 10 infants that contract the disease from their mom become chronically infected. This is why babies get the vaccine before they leave the hospital.

It is recommended that the Hep B shot is administered at the following ages: birth, 1 to 2 months, and 6 months.

13. The Flu (Influenza)

The flu is a respiratory illness that is caused by an infection in the nose, throat, and lungs, with the influenza virus. People are affected differently by the disease and it can be dangerous for any age. Symptoms can include coughing, fever, aches, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Every year, children in the United States die from flu complications.

It is recommended that the flu vaccine is administered every year, starting at 6 months of age.

14. Tetanus

Tetanus can be fatal. It causes painful muscle stiffness and lockjaw. The tetanus vaccine is part of the DTaP shot, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis).

It is recommended that the DTaP vaccine is administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 through 18 months, and 4 through 6 years.