Vaccines are so effective that most of the diseases that they help to prevent are now rare in Canada. Canadian children can be protected against dangerous childhood diseases like measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria, tetanus, certain types of meningitis, and polio.
What would happen if we stopped vaccinating? In other countries, when fewer people were immunized, diseases quickly returned. For example:
- In 2000, the number of measles cases in Ireland increased from 148 to more than 1,200 in just one year because vaccination was reduced to 76%. Several children died.
- In 1999, there was a large outbreak of rubella (German measles) in Nebraska. All 83 adults who were affected had not previously been vaccinated, and most of them came from countries where rubella vaccine is not routine.
- After a routine vaccination was cancelled in Russia, there were 5,000 deaths due to diphtheria in 1994. In previous years, Russia, like Canada, had only a few cases of diphtheria each year and no deaths.
But do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the possible side effects? The short answer is yes. If there were no vaccines, there would be many more cases of disease, more serious side effects from disease, and more deaths. The diseases that vaccines help prevent lead to pneumonia, deafness, brain damage, heart problems, blindness, and paralysis in children who are not vaccinated. Canadian children are very fortunate to have vaccines for diseases that still kill and disable children throughout the world every day. The risks of not being vaccinated are much greater than any risk of vaccination itself.
Knowing when to vaccinate
For your child to receive maximum protection against serious childhood diseases, they need to get all their shots at the right time. To help you make sure that they do, a vaccination schedule that you can easily follow has been developed especially for infants and children. This schedule may differ a little depending on which province you live in. Talk to your child's doctor about your provincial vaccination schedule, and ask your child's doctor or nurse to give you a record book to help keep track of all the shots your child gets.
What vaccines should your child receive?
Some vaccines are covered by a provincial or territorial health plan, which means that you don't have to pay for them. Others are not covered by all provincial and territorial health plans, and you may have to pay for them, depending on where you live. Ask your doctor or public health nurse for more information.
Vaccines covered by all health plans
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Hib vaccines - These vaccines can sometimes be given as a single shot, also referred to as "5-in-1 vaccine". This vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b). There is also a 4-in-1 shot that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio.
MMR vaccine - This one easy shot can help protect your child from 3 diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella.
Hepatitis B vaccine - This vaccine helps protect against the hepatitis B virus, which attacks the liver.
dTap - This vaccine, given to adolescents, provides protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
Talk to your doctor about how many doses of each vaccine your child needs and at what ages your child should receive the doses.
Children who had trouble breathing or had severe swelling of the skin or mouth when getting a previous vaccine injection should not receive these vaccines.
Vaccines not covered by all health plans
The following vaccines are recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization, even though they may not be covered by all provincial and territorial health plans. You may have to pay for them, depending on where you live. To find out more, talk to your child's doctor.
These vaccines are:
Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine - This helps protect your child or teen from chickenpox.
Pneumococcal vaccine - This helps protect against infections caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae, including meningitis (brain infection), bacteremia (bloodstream infection), pneumonia (lung infection), and ear infection.
Meningococcal vaccine - protects against diseases caused by a bacteria called Meningococcus, including meningitis and septicemia (a serious blood infection that can cause death very quickly).
Talk to your child's doctor to find out if these vaccines are right for your child.
Other vaccines your child may need
Talk to your doctor about whether your child should have a flu shot. Flu shots are recommended for children who are at high risk of serious complications from the flu, including:
- children with heart problems
- children with lung problems (such as asthma)
- children with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes
- children who need long-term treatment with ASA (Aspirin®)
If you have a daughter, you may wish to speak to your doctor about whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may be right for her. HPV is a common virus that causes cervical cancer, genital warts, and other cancers. The HPV vaccine protects against 4 types of HPV that cause approximately 70% of all cervical cancers and 90% of all genital warts. Girls and young women aged 9 to 26 years are eligible for the vaccine, which is given in 3 doses.
If you are planning a family trip outside of Canada, speak to your doctor or visit a travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before your trip to find out whether you or your child will need any immunizations before you travel.
It's not too late to vaccinate
If your child was not vaccinated as a baby, it's not too late to help protect your child against childhood diseases. Talk to your child's doctor about vaccination schedules for older children.
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