DTaP Vaccine

DTaP

The DTaP vaccine protects against:

• diphtheria — a serious infection of the throat that can block the airway and cause severe breathing difficulty
• tetanus (lockjaw) — a nerve disease, which can occur at any age, caused by toxin-producing bacteria contaminating a wound
• pertussis (whooping cough) — a respiratory illness with cold symptoms that progress to severe coughing (the "whooping" sound occurs when the child breathes in deeply after a severe coughing bout); serious complications of pertussis can occur in children under 1 year of age, and those under 6 months old are especially susceptible. Teens and adults with a persistent cough may not realize they have pertussis, and may pass it to vulnerable infants.

Immunization Schedule

DTaP immunizations are given as a series of five injections and are usually administered at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years. After the initial series of immunizations, a vaccine called Tdap (the booster shot) should be given at ages 11 to 12, or to older teens and adults who haven't yet received a booster with pertussis coverage. Then, Td (tetanus and diphtheria) boosters are recommended every 10 years.

Why the Vaccine Is Recommended

Use of the DTaP vaccine has virtually eliminated diphtheria and tetanus in childhood and has markedly reduced the number of pertussis cases.

Possible Risks

The vaccine frequently causes mild side effects: fever, mild crankiness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and tenderness, redness, or swelling in the area where the shot was given. Rarely, seizures can occur following DTaP. Most of these side effects result from the pertussis component of the vaccine. Severe complications caused by DTaP immunization are rare. Most kids have little or no problem.

When to Delay or Avoid Immunization

• if your child is currently sick, although simple colds or other minor illnesses should not prevent immunization
• if your child has an uncontrolled seizure disorder or certain neurologic diseases or seems not to be developing normally — the pertussis component of the vaccine may not be given, and your child may receive a DT (diphtheria and tetanus) vaccine instead

If your child experienced any of the following after an earlier DTaP, consult with your doctor before your child receives another injection of the vaccine:

• seizures within 3 to 7 days after injection
• worsening of seizures
• an allergic reaction after receiving the vaccine, such as mouth, throat, or facial swelling
• difficulty breathing
• temperature of 105° Fahrenheit (40.5° Celsius) or higher during the first 2 days after injection
• shock or collapse during the first 2 days after injection
• persistent, uncontrolled crying that lasts for more than 3 hours during the first 2 days after injection

Caring for Your Child After Immunization

Your child may experience fever, soreness, and some swelling and redness in the area where the shot was given. Depending on the age of your child, pain and fever may be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Check with your doctor to see if you can give either medication, and to find out the appropriate dose.

A warm, damp cloth or a heating pad also may help reduce soreness. Moving or using the limb that has received the injection often reduces the soreness.

When to Call the Doctor

• if you aren't sure whether the vaccine should be postponed or avoided. Children who have had certain problems with the DTaP vaccine usually can safely receive the DT vaccine.
• if complications or severe symptoms develop after immunization, including seizures, fever above 105° Fahrenheit (40.5° Celsius), difficulty breathing or other signs of allergy, shock or collapse, or uncontrolled crying for more than 3 hours

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Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal Vaccine (PCV)

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) protects against pneumococcal infections. The bacterium is a leading cause of serious infections, including pneumonia, blood infections, and bacterial meningitis.

Children under 2 years old, adults over 65 years old, and people with certain medical conditions are most susceptible to serious pneumococcal infections. The pneumococcus bacterium is spread through person-to-person contact. The vaccine not only prevents the infection in children who receive it, it also helps stop its spread.

Immunization Schedule

PCV immunizations are given as a series of four injections starting at 2 months of age and following at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 to 15 months. Kids who miss the first dose or may have missed subsequent doses due to vaccine shortage should still receive the vaccine, and your doctor can give you a modified schedule for immunization.

Why the Vaccine Is Recommended

The most serious infections affect children younger than 2 years old, and the vaccine will protect them when they're at greatest risk.

PCV also is recommended for kids between 2 and 5 years of age who are at high risk for serious pneumococcal infections because they have medical problems such as:

• sickle cell anemia
• a damaged spleen or no spleen
• HIV/AIDS
• cochlear implants
• a disease that affects the immune system, such as diabetes or cancer
• receiving medications that affect the immune system, such as steroids or chemotherapy

In addition, these high-risk children may also receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) in addition to the PCV when they're older than 24 months.

The PCV vaccine should be considered for all other unvaccinated 2- to -5-year-olds, especially those who are under 3 years of age; are of Alaska Native, American Indian, or African American descent; or who attend group childcare centers.

Possible Risks

Children who receive the PCV vaccine may have redness, tenderness, or swelling where the shot was given. A child may also have a fever after receiving the shot.

When to Delay or Avoid Immunization

• if your child is currently sick, although simple colds or other minor illnesses should not prevent immunization
• if your child has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine

Caring for Your Child After Immunization

The vaccine may cause mild fever, and soreness and redness in the area where the shot was given. Depending on the age of your child, pain and fever may be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Check with your doctor to see if you can give either medication, and to find out the appropriate dose.

When to Call the Doctor

• if your child missed a dose in the series
• if a severe allergic reaction or high fever occurs after immunization

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Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects the liver. Those who are infected can become lifelong carriers of the virus and may develop long-term problems such as cirrhosis (liver disease) or cancer of the liver.

Immunization Schedule

Hepatitis B vaccine usually is given as a series of three injections. The first shot is often given to infants shortly after birth. If the mother of a newborn carries the hepatitis B virus in her blood, the infant needs to receive the first shot within 12 hours after birth, along with another shot (HBIG) to immediately provide protection against the virus. If a newborn's mother shows no evidence of HBV in her blood, the infant may receive the hepatitis B vaccine any time prior to leaving the hospital. It may also be delayed until the 1- or 2- month visit to your doctor.

If the first dose is given shortly after birth, the second shot is given at 1 to 2 months and the third at 6 to 18 months. For infants who don't receive the first shot until 1 to 2 months, the second shot is given at 3 to 4 months and the third at 6 to 18 months. In either case, the second and third shots are usually given in conjunction with other routine childhood immunizations.

Why the Vaccine Is Recommended

The hepatitis B vaccine usually creates long-term immunity. Infants who receive the HBV series should be protected from hepatitis B infection not only throughout their childhood but also into the adult years. Eliminating the risk of infection also decreases risk for cirrhosis of the liver, chronic liver disease, and liver cancer. Young adults and adolescents should also receive the vaccine if they did not as infants.

Possible Risks

Serious problems associated with receiving the HBV vaccine are rare. Problems that do occur tend to be minor, such as fever or redness or tenderness at the injection site.

When to Delay or Avoid Immunization

• if your child is currently sick, although simple colds or other minor illnesses should not prevent immunization
• if a severe allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis) occurred after a previous injection of the HBV vaccine

Caring for Your Child After Immunization

The vaccine may cause mild fever, and soreness and redness in the area where the shot was given. Depending on the age of your child, pain and fever may be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Very young infants should not be given either medication, but for older infants or children, you can check with the doctor about the appropriate dose.

When to Call the Doctor

• if you're not sure of the recommended schedule for the hepatitis B vaccine
• if you have concerns about your own HBV carrier state
• if moderate or serious adverse effects appear after your child has received an HBV injection

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Staph Infections part 3

MRSA

You may have heard about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria with a resistance to the antibiotics usually used to treat staph infections. Although MRSA infections can be harder to treat, in most cases they heal with proper care.

Most MRSA infections involve the skin, but sometimes MRSA can cause more serious problems, such as bone infections or pneumonia. MRSA pneumonia is rare, but is more of a risk for kids already sick with the flu.

Scalded Skin Syndrome

Scalded skin syndrome (SSS) most often affects newborns and kids under age 5. The illness usually starts with a localized staph skin infection, but the staph bacteria manufacture a toxin that affects skin all over the body. The child has a fever, rash, and sometimes blisters. As blisters burst and the rash passes, the top layer of skin is dislodged and the skin surface becomes red and raw, like a burn.

SSS is a serious illness that needs to be treated and monitored in a hospital. It affects the body in the same way as serious burns. After treatment, most kids make a full recovery.

Treating Staph Infections

Most localized staph skin infections can be treated by washing the skin with an antibacterial cleanser, warm soaks, applying an antibiotic ointment prescribed by a doctor, and covering the skin with a clean dressing. To keep the infection from spreading, use a towel only once when you soak or clean an area of infected skin, then wash it.

Your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic for your child's staph skin infection. If so, give the antibiotic on schedule for as many days as the doctor directs. More serious staph infections may require hospitalization.

Call the doctor whenever your child has an area of red, irritated, or painful skin, especially if you see whitish pus-filled areas or your child has a fever or feels sick. Also, call the doctor if skin infections seem to be passing from one family member to another or if two or more family members have skin infections simultaneously.

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Staph Infections part 2

Complications of Staph Infections

Staph bacteria can cause toxic shock syndrome, cellulitis, and these infections:

Folliculitis and Boils

Folliculitis is an infection of hair follicles, tiny pockets under the skin where hair shafts (strands) grow. In folliculitis, tiny white-headed pimples appear at the base of hair shafts, sometimes with a small red area around each pimple. This infection often occurs in areas where there's been friction or irritation, such as with shaving.

Folliculitis often clears up on its own with good skin hygiene. Sometimes, it can progress to become a boil. With a boil, the staph infection spreads deeper and wider, often affecting the skin's subcutaneous tissue (deeper tissue under the skin) and the oil-producing glands, which are called sebaceous glands. In the first stage, which parents and kids often miss, the area of skin either begins to itch or becomes mildly painful. Next, the skin turns red and begins to swell over the infected area. Finally, the skin above the infection becomes very tender and a whitish "head" may appear. The head may break, and the boil may begin to drain pus, blood, or an amber-colored liquid. Boils can occur anywhere on the skin, especially under the arms or on the groin or buttocks in kids.

To help relieve pain from a boil, try warm-water soaks, a heating pad, or a hot-water bottle applied to the skin for about 20 minutes, three or four times a day. Make sure that the washcloths used for the soaks are washed after each use. Boils are occasionally treated with oral antibiotics and in some cases need to be surgically drained.

Impetigo

Impetigo can affect skin anywhere on the body but commonly occurs around the nose and mouth. It usually affects preschoolers and school-age kids, especially in the summer months.

Impetigo caused by staph bacteria is characterized by large blisters containing fluid that is first clear, then cloudy. The blisters may burst, ooze fluid, and develop a honey-colored crust. Impetigo may itch and can be spread by scratching. Doctors usually prescribe a topical ointment to treat it and may, depending on the severity, add oral antibiotics.

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