God is with you!

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver passed from an infected mother to her baby during delivery. This immunization is routinely given to infants whether or not the mother is infected. All infants should receive hepatitis B vaccine soon after birth. This first dose may also be given by age 2 months if the infant's mother is not infected with the hepatitis B virus. Infants born to women known to be infected with hepatitis B should be given hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth. Diphtheria and pertussis (also known as whooping cough) are highly contagious bacterial infections. Tetanus is also a bacterial infection, but it is a toxin released by the tetanus bacteria that causes disease. A single vaccine that combines diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus toxoids immunizes against these three diseases. A vaccine that contains only tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) is recommended at 11 to 12 years of age if at least five years have elapsed since the last dose of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine. Boosters of tetanus and diphtheria vaccine are recommended every ten years. Haemophilus influenzae type B is a bacterial infection that can cause diseases such as meningitis (infection of the linings of the brain and spinal cord), bacteremia (infection of the blood), otitis media (infection of the middle ear), and conjunctivitis (infection of the eye). Poliomyelitis is a viral infection that can produce permanent muscle weakness, paralysis, and sometimes death. The vaccine is given in an injectable form. The oral form of the vaccine is no longer recommended except in special circumstances. Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause serious illnesses, including meningitis, blood infection, and ear infections. Children under two years old are at highest risk for infection. Pneumococcal disease can be difficult to treat because the bacterium that causes it, known as Streptococcus pneumoniae, has become resistant to certain antibiotics. Protection from the vaccine lasts about three years; infants who are vaccinated will thus be protected when they are at greatest risk for infection. Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral infections that are typically mild in children but more serious in adults. A pregnant woman infected with rubella, also known as German measles, may miscarry or give birth to a baby with severe birth defects. A single vaccine that combines measles, mumps, and rubella toxoids immunizes against these three diseases. Chicken pox is a viral infection that produces a characteristic itchy rash. The infection is usually mild in children but severe in adults. Infection with this virus causes immunity, although the virus may remain dormant in the body, sometimes reactivating in adults in the form of shingles. Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver transmitted when a person eats something contaminated by the feces of an infected person. The disease is commonly transmitted in areas where sanitation is poor or when good personal hygiene is not observed, such as when infected persons neglect to wash their hands after using the toilet and then handle food that will be eaten by others. The hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children living in selected regions of the country where the rate of hepatitis A infection is high. Influenza is an infection of the respiratory tract caused by a virus transmitted from one person to another in droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. The influenza vaccine is recommended annually for children over six months of age who suffer from illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes, or cardiac diseases, that place them at high risk for developing serious complications as a result of an influenza infection.

God is with you!