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What Does "Vaccine-Preventable" Mean?

When we say an infection is "vaccine-preventable", it means that it is highly possible that a child would not have gotten sick with the illness if they had been immunized with the vaccine beforehand. 

The Diseases We Want to Control

All information on this page has been reviewed by a medical professional and obtained from the following sources:

  • cdc.gov

  • nationaljewish.org

  • medscape.com

  • sciencedirect.com

Measles (rubeola)

Symptoms

  • high fever (>104*)

  • eye redness and tearing

  • cough

  • eye swelling

  • red patchy rash

  • whitish "Koplik spots" in mouth

Consequences of Infection

  • blindness

  • pneumonitis and breathing difficulty

  • brain swelling leading to brain damage

  • pericarditis/myocarditis (heart inflammation and damage)

  • lymphadenitis

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FYI--the background of this page is a picture of a measles rash

Mumps (paramyxovirus)

Symptoms

  • ear pain

  • fever

  • parotid gland swelling (neck and chin swelling)

  • hearing loss

  • thyroiditis

  • testicular swelling and pain

  • rash

Consequences of Infection

  • infertility

  • pancreatitis

  • testicular atrophy

  • meningitis (brain swelling and damage)

mumps.jpg

German Measles (rubella)

Symptoms

  • eye redness

  • fever

  • lymph node swelling

  • fatigue and tiredness

  • sore throat

  • rash

Consequences of Infection

  • arthritis/permanent joint pain

  • encephalitis (brain swelling)

  • hearing loss

  • vision loss

rubella.jpg

Chickenpox (varicella zoster virus)

Symptoms

  • low-grade fever

  • abdominal pain

  • intensely itchy rash spreading from trunk outwards to extremities

  • sore throat

  • cough

  • eye tearing

Consequences of Infection

  • severe pneumonia

  • skin infections

  • septicemia (bacterial infection of the blood)

  • cerebellar ataxia (inability to stand/walk)

  • glomerulonephritis (kidney disease)

  • shingles infections later in life

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Diphtheria (corynebacterium diphtheriae)

Symptoms

  • hoarseness/loss of voice

  • sore throat

  • membrane formation in throat

  • difficulty breathing

Consequences of Infection

  • airway obstruction

  • suffocation

  • palate paralysis/inability to swallow

  • respiratory failure

  • death

diphtheria.jpg

Lockjaw (tetanus)

Symptoms

  • generalized seizure-like muscle spasms

  • irritability/restlessness

  • neck rigidity

  • sore throat

  • "frozen" facial muscles

  • muscle rigidity starting from face and moving downward to body

Consequences of Infection

  • laryngospasm/asphyxiation

  • rhabdomyolysis

  • muscle damage

  • airway spasms

  • hypertension

  • cardiac dysrhythmias

  • developmental delays (in infants)

  • death

tetanus.jpg

Whooping Cough (pertussis)

Symptoms

  • cough with a loud inspiratory "whoop"

  • low-grade fever

  • sneezing

  • eye redness and tearing

  • runny nose

  • vomiting with coughing

Consequences of Infection

  • chronic cough

  • risk of exhaustion

  • apneic episodes in infants (not breathing for periods of time)

whoopin.jpg

Polio (poliovirus)

Symptoms

  • vomiting and abdominal pain

  • fever

  • severe headache

  • back/muscle pain

  • asymmetric paralysis and loss of muscle function

Hepatitis B (HBV)

Consequences of Infection

  • permanent paralysis

  • muscle atrophy

  • ataxia/inability to walk

  • meningitis

  • neurological deficits

  • respiratory and cardiovascular collapse

  • death

polio.jpg

Symptoms

  • abdominal pain

  • clay-colored stools

  • dark-colored urine

  • headache

  • jaundice (skin yellowing)

  • muscle and joint aches

  • loss of appetite

Consequences of Infection

  • chronic hepatitis

  • liver failure

  • liver necrosis (tissue death)

  • cirrhosis (liver disease)

  • co-infection with Hepatitis D

hepB.jpg

Hepatitis A (HAV)

Symptoms

  • low-grade fever

  • nausea

  • vomiting

  • loss of appetite

  • diarrhea

  • jaundice (yellowing of skin)

Consequences of Infection

  • enlarged liver

  • enlarged spleen

  • lasting jaundice (yellowness of skin/eyes)

hepA.webp

HiB Infections (haemophilius influenza type B)

Symptoms

  • irritability/lethargy

  • cough

  • wheezing

  • inspiratory stridor (screeching while attempting to breathe in due to collapsed airway)

Consequences of Infection

  • blood pressure instability

  • septic shock

  • pericarditis (heart inflammation)

  • airway obstruction

  • meningitis or coma

  • death

hib.jpeg

Rotavirus

Symptoms

  • vomiting

  • loose, watery diarrhea

  • flow-grade fever

  • abdominal cramping and pain

  • loss of appetite

Consequences of Infection

  • dehydration

  • weight loss

  • hypovolemic shock (due to dehydration)

  • multisystem organ failure

rotavirus.jpg

Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Symptoms

  • fever >102*

  • headache

  • cough

  • shortness of breath

  • difficulty breathing

  • chest pain

Consequences of Infection

  • endocarditis (heart inflammation)

  • bactermia (blood infection)

  • meningitis

  • brain damage

pneumo.jpg

Meningitis B (meningococcal B)

Symptoms

  • intense headache

  • fever

  • nausea and vomiting

  • stiff neck

  • avoidance of light

  • seizures

Consequences of Infection

  • coma

  • brain bleeding

  • bleeding from mucous membranes

  • septic shock

  • fatal convulsions

  • death

meninB.jpg

HPV Cancer (human papilloma virus)

Symptoms

  • condylomas (warts)

  • raised skin on genital area

  • occlusions of urogenital area

Consequences of Infection

  • anorectal cancer

  • cervical cancer

  • genital warts

  • abscesses and fistulas

Flu (influenza A and B)

Symptoms

  • fever

  • runny/stuffy nose

  • sore throat

  • fatigue/tiredness

  • headache

  • muscle aches

  • cough

Consequences of Infection

  • pneumonia

  • encephalitis (brain swelling)

  • croup

  • respiratory distress/failure

  • seizures

hpv.jpg
influenza.jpg

CoVID-19 (novel coronavirus-19)

Symptoms

  • fever

  • cough

  • shortness of breath

  • sore throat

  • fatigue/tiredness

  • headache

  • muscle aches

Consequences of Infection

  • pneumonia

  • multisystem inflammatory disorder

  • hypoxia (low oxygen)

  • respiratory distress/failure

  • seizures

covid.webp
All of these diseases have the ability to cause death and severe complications, especially in children with immune system issues and underlying conditions that might not be known about until it's too late.
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