Vaccine Education

CURATED BY THE PROVIDERS OF
STORYBOOK PEDIATRICS
CURATED BY THE PROVIDERS OF
STORYBOOK PEDIATRICS
At Storybook Pediatrics, we believe vaccines are one of the most important and well-studied public health advancements. We strongly recommend that children receive immunizations according to the schedule established by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as this schedule is designed to protect children when they are most vulnerable and is supported by extensive safety monitoring and scientific evidence
At the same time, we respect a parent / guardian right to make informed medical decisions for their children/ minors. Thus, we do accept alternate schedule, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated families in our office. Our role is to provide evidence-based guidance, answer questions openly, and support families as they make choices they feel comfortable with.
Our hope is that just as you trust our expertise and care for all other areas of your children’s health you will trust us to help you make the decision on whether to vaccinate your family or not.
At Storybook Pediatrics, we believe vaccines are one of the most important and well-studied public health advancements. We strongly recommend that children receive immunizations according to the schedule established by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as this schedule is designed to protect children when they are most vulnerable and is supported by extensive safety monitoring and scientific evidence
At the same time, we respect a parent / guardian right to make informed medical decisions for their children/ minors. Thus, we do accept alternate schedule, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated families in our office. Our role is to provide evidence-based guidance, answer questions openly, and support families as they make choices they feel comfortable with.
Our hope is that just as you trust our expertise and care for all other areas of your children’s health you will trust us to help you make the decision on whether to vaccinate your family or not.

- AAP: American Academy of Pediatrics
- CDC: Centers for Disease Control
- WHO: World Health Organization
- Hep B: Hepatitis B vaccine
- Hep A: Hepatitis A vaccine
- Dtap: Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine
- Tdap: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis vaccine
- IPV: Polio vaccine
- PCV: Pneumococcal vaccine
- HIB: Haemophilus Influenzae Type B vaccine
- MMR: Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine
- VZV: Varicella vaccine
- MCV4: Meningococcal ACWY vaccine
- Men B: Meningococcal B vaccine
- HPV: Human Papillomavirus vaccine
- Rota: Rotavirus vaccine
- Bacteremia: Bacteria in the blood which can lead to sepsis and death.
- Meningitis: Inflammation / infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord.
- Sepsis: life threatening response to infection that leads to organ failure and death.
- Organ Failure: A vital body organ stops working. Can be lungs, heart, liver, kidneys
- Encephalitis: Brain swelling / inflammation
- Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: (ARDS): Severe lung injury where fluid fills the lungs and impairs the ability to breath.
- Cerebellar Ataxia: Loss of control of body movements.
- Epiglottitis: Swelling of the flap of tissue that covers the airway resulting in respiratory distress.
- Measles Inclusion Body Encephalitis (MIBE): Severe brain infection caused by measles within 1 year of illness
- Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE): Severe and fatal brain disease caused by reactivation of measles 7 or more years after infection.
- Congenital Rubella Syndrome: Babies exposed to rubella before birth having impacts on hearing, heart defects, eyes, and developmental delays.
- Transverse Myelitis: Section of spinal cord is inflamed causing partial paralysis
- Metabolic Acidosis: The body’s PH level is too low due to fluid losses. Can be life threatening.
- Cardiac Fibroelastosis: Thickening, stiffening, and scarring of the heart decreasing its function.
- Trismus: Lockjaw
- Newborn: Hep B (given at birth hospital)
- 2 months: Dtap, IPV, Hep B, PCV, HIB, Rota
- 4 months: Dtap, IPV Hep B,, PCV, HIB, Rota
- 6 months: Dtap, IPV, Hep B, PCV, HIB, Rota
- 12 months: MMR, PCV, Hep A
- 15 months: VZV, Dtap, Hib
- 18 months: Hep A
- 4 year: Dtap, IPV, MMR, Varicella
- 9 year: HPV (offered yearly, until series complete, 2 dose series if started before 15 years of age, 3 doses if 15 or older)
- 10 year: Tdap (offered), HPV if due
- 11 year: Tdap (if not given at 10), MCV4, HPV if due
- 15 year: HPV if due
- 16 year: MCV4, MenB
- 17 year: Men B, Tdap (if more than 5 years since last Tdap)
- *Combination vaccines are available to lessen number of injections.
PROTECTS AGAINST HEP B
- Hep B Facts:
- Agent: Hepatitis B Virus
- How it spreads: Coming into contact with blood and/or body fluids. Can live on surfaces and spread through household contacts
- Symptoms: There may be no symptoms but it can present with fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), joint pain.
- Complications: it can cause complications like chronic liver infection, liver failure, liver cancer, and death. In Infancy and childhood infection leads to chronic hepatitis in 95% of cases (WHO).
- STATS:
- Has a 90-95% efficacy for preventing Hep B infections and clinical disease.
- Long term studies show immune memory for at least 3 decades. Booster doses are not recommended for normal immune status.
- First given at birth( even with mothers known negative Hep B status).
- Adverse effects: pain at the site, and fever (more common in children than adults) and fatigue. Anaphylaxis is uncommon ( 1 in 1.3million recipients).
- A study from the National Academy of Medicine found no evidence of association between the Hep B vaccine and SIDS, (sudden infant death syndrome) , type 1 DM, seizures, encephalitis, or autoimmune disease like demyelinating disease or Multiple sclerosis.
PROTECTS AGAINST HEP B
- Agent: Hepatitis B Virus
- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION:
- ROUTINE VACCINATION!
- Hep B Vaccine administered: Birth, 2 months, and 6 months.
- Some children get an extra dose at the 4 month visit if the parents choose to use combination vaccines.
PROTECTS AGAINST PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE (an infectious bacteria)
- PCV Facts:
- Agent: Pneumococcal bacteria
- How it spreads: Pneumococcal diseases are spread by air, respiratory droplets, and direct contact
- Symptoms: There may be no symptoms but it can present with pneumonia (infection in the lungs). This is the most common cause of community acquired pneumonia. 40-50% of kids and 20-30% of adults are colonized.
- Complications: bacteremia (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), and death. Also a leading cause of ear infections in children.
- STATS:
- This is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in kids over 1 month of age.
- In people older than 16 years, it causes 72% of bacterial meningitis cases with a 12-61% mortality rate.
- First introduced in the U.S. in 2000 as PCV7.
- 4 dose series is recommended for those under age 5 years of age.
- May cause redness, pain, swelling at the injection site, along with fever, drowsiness irritability, and decreased appetite.
PROTECTS AGAINST PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE (an infectious bacteria)
- Agent: Hepatitis B Virus
- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION:
- ROUTINE VACCINATION!
- PCV Vaccine administered at: 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age
- Some children with immune compromise or chronic health conditions such as asthma may qualify for booster dose as an older child.