NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

ABCs OF
CHILDHOOD
VACCINES

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NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

NATURAL IMMUNITY

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Terms To Remember

• Natural Immunity: Immunity from disease can

be provided by vaccination or by exposure to the
disease. Some people believe that immunity is
best gained by exposure to the actual disease,
not by vaccination.

• Shingles: A painful nerve inflammation occurring

in people who have had chickenpox

• National Immunization Project: An organization

which can direct people to health clinics offering
no- or low-cost vaccinations

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“Natural Immunity”
(Getting Immunity By Getting Sick)
• What is it? Does it work? What are the costs?

• Some people believe that it’s better to

get a disease naturally than to be
vaccinated against it.

• One theory is that chickenpox,

for example, helps mature the
immune system.

• And a mature immune system should

be better able to fight infection from
diseases, right?
• What are the facts about natural immunity?

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Chickenpox and Natural Immunity: The Risks

• While a full-blown case of chickenpox can make

a child immune to the disease in the future, up to
5% of children who have had chickenpox get it
again, 2 or more mild cases of it.
• Chickenpox puts children at risk for shingles, a
painful nerve inflammation striking 300,000
people a year. The chickenpox vaccination can
lessen the chances of getting shingles.
• Sick children miss school, their parents miss
work, and there are financial costs to the family.
• Children who have the disease spread it. Other
family members, classmates, and friends can be
infected with the disease too.

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Choosing Natural Immunity Is Risky!

• Chickenpox kills children in the United States every year.

• Before a chickenpox vaccine was licensed, almost 7,000
children per year were hospitalized for serious complications of
chickenpox like encephalitis, hepatitis, flesh eating-strep, and
toxic shock syndrome.

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Choosing Natural Immunity

Can Be Risky To Others.
• A parent who is not immune to chickenpox can easily catch the
disease from an infected child. 1 in 5 adults who get chickenpox
develops pneumonia, which can be deadly.
• If a “routine” disease like chickenpox can have these results, natural
immunity is a risky alternative to vaccination.

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Childhood Diseases Carry Serious Risks.

• Hib or pneumococcal disease can

cause bacterial meningitis, leading
to brain damage or death.
• Pertussis (whooping cough) can cause
coughing spells so bad that it is hard
for infants to eat, drink, or breathe.
These spells can last for weeks. Pertussis can
lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain
damage, and death.
• Polio may lead to paralysis and death. Polio used
to be very common in the United States, killing
and paralyzing thousands of people a year.

• Tetanus (lockjaw) infection can cause painful

tightening of the muscles. It can lead to "locking"
of the jaw so the victim cannot open his mouth or
swallow. Tetanus results in death in about 10%
of cases.
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Key Facts

• “Natural immunity” simply isn’t a safe

alternative for children—or for the adults
who care for and love them.
• Childhood diseases can have serious,
potentially deadly consequences.
• No child has to go without vaccinations.
• It’s easier, safer, and cheaper to vaccinate a
child than to treat a disease.
• Just call the National Immunization
Project at 800-232-2522 for the
name of the health clinic nearest
you.

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Additional Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:

www.cdc.gov. Click “Vaccines & Immunizations,” then click “NIP Home
Page” in the right column or go directly to www.cdc.gov/nip
• National Immunization Hotline: 1-800-232-2522
• Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunization: Publication available
online at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/
• For information on vaccine testing and licensing: www.fda.gov
• For information about local health care resources: www.naccho.gov or
look under “public health” in the blue pages of your local phone book
• For information on children’s health insurance: www.insurekidsnow.gov
• Additional ABCs of Childhood Vaccines slide shows cover the following
topics: Risks of Not Vaccinating; How Vaccines Work; Vaccine Safety;
Primary Vaccinations

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