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Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

  • TMA has custom infographics and straight-forward videos to help you talk to your patients about the realities of diseases that childhood and adult vaccinations prevent. 

  • Diphtheria

    Most people know little about diphtheria today thanks to the effectiveness of its vaccine. Fear of this highly contagious bacterial infection – which chokes off patients’ ability to breathe – was once so strong it gave birth to the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race.

    Attacks Respiratory System

    Flu

    Influenza, or flu, is serious. The flu shot can prevent or minimize the illness. The U.S. can see up to 710,000 flu-related hospitalizations and as many as 56,000 deaths each year. In 2017-18 , a particularly bad year, Texas saw nearly 12,000 flu-related deaths, including 17 children.

    Is Much More
    Than a Cold

  • Hepatitis A

    Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection that can make people very ill or even kill them. The disease attacks the liver, and people spread it through contact with infected fecal matter.

    Spreads Mostly Through Dirty Hands

    Hepatitis B

    With six different vaccines for hepatitis B in the U.S., there’s no shortage of tools to prevent it. Yet in 2016, nearly 1,700 people in this country – and more than 780,000 worldwide – died from this viral liver infection.

    Spreads Through Blood, Body Fluids

  • Hib

    Despite its name, Haemophilus influenzae type b – or Hib – doesn’t cause influenza. In the 1890s, doctors thought this bacteria might cause flu and – despite later research showing flu is a viral illness – the name stuck.

    Causes Severe Illnesses in Kids

    HPV

    HPV – short for human papillomavirus – is the world’s most common sexually transmitted infection. About 80% of people in the U.S. will get HPV, which can lead to cancer in men and women years later.

    This Vaccine Prevents Cancer

  • Maternal Vaccines

    Pregnant women may not realize they pass on disease-fighting antibodies to their babies, protecting them early in life. Certain vaccines received before and during pregnancy protect moms and babies.

    Keep Moms,
    Babies Healthy

    Measles

    Measles, an awful disease that is incredibly contagious, was eradicated in the U.S. because most everyone got the vaccine against it. But it has made a comeback, including in some areas of Texas.

    Can Be Deadly
    for Kids

  • Meningitis B

    Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is the new kid on the block for children and adolescents, having won approval in 2014. This vaccine for meningitis B often is confused with the older meningococcal vaccine.

    Affects People Living in Close Quarters

    Meningococcal Disease

    Your patients might not be familiar with meningococcal disease because it is relatively rare in the U.S. When it hits, though, it’s nasty, leading to meningitis or bloodstream infections, among other ailments.

    Can Cause Death Within Hours

  • Mumps

    Mumps spreads easily through sneezing and coughing, or just by touching infected surfaces. A vaccine, introduced in 1967, reduced U.S. cases by 99%. However, outbreaks continue to occur, including in Texas.

    Appears As Puffy Cheeks, Swollen Jaw

    Pertussis

    The “whoop” that gives whooping cough (pertussis) its name is a terrifying sound. It’s the sound of someone – usually a child – gasping for breath. Adults need the shot to protect babies. Whooping cough can affect anyone, and is especially dangerous for babies.

    Can Be Deadly
    in Babies

  • Pneumococcal Disease

    Your patients might not have heard of pneumococcal bacteria, but they probably know some of its serious conditions: pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, blood infections, and ear infections.

    Affects Very Young and Old

    Polio

    Polio once terrified Americans. In the 1940s-'50s, the virus crippled some 35,000 Americans a year. Because polio often attacked abdominal muscles used to breathe, many died or needed a respirator called an iron lung.

    Remains a Threat Worldwide

  • Rotavirus

    Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea for young children in the world today. It is a highly contagious viral infection that inflames the lining of the stomach and intestines, and especially affects children 2 years old and younger.

    Causes Severe Diarrhea

    Rubella

    The virus that causes rubella often appears deceptively mild — so mild, in fact, that one-quarter to half of people infected with it will have no symptoms at all. Rubella is especially dangerous for pregnant women.

    Causes Birth Defects, Miscarriage

  • Tetanus

    Tetanus goes by the nickname “lockjaw” for good reason: It causes painful spasms that typically occur in jaw muscles but can wrack the entire body, and can be fatal.

    Can Affect All Ages

    Texas School Vaccinations

    Texas public schools (and most private schools) and colleges require students to have certain shots before they can attend classes.

    Keep Kids Healthy

  • Varicella-Zoster Virus

    Remember those itchy pockmarks so many people used to get as kids? That’s the varicella-zoster virus, or chickenpox. That same virus does double-duty: It can cause chickenpox when you’re young and reactivate later in life as a painful, blistery rash called shingles.

    Causes Chickenpox, Shingles  

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  • Infographics and Videos

  • New: CME on These Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

    Available now in the TMA Education Center.

  • Vaccinations for the Uninsured

    Remove barriers to vaccination by becoming a Texas Vaccines for Children or Adult Safety Net provider.

    Texas Vaccines for Children Program

    Adult Safety Net Program

     

  • Immunization Requirements and Laws

    Get the latest information on immunization schedules, vaccination requirements and resources for health care providers provided by the State of Texas and Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    Learn More

  • Ask the TMA Knowledge Center

    Got questions about vaccines - preventable diseases? Call the Knowledge Center.

    (800) 880-7955