Vaccination is your best defense
Though most vaccine-preventable diseases are under control in the United States, pertussis -- also known as whooping cough -- is still a problem. It's showing up in teens and adults who weren't immunized as children or whose immunity has worn off. The disease is very contagious and can last for months in adults, but it's rarely fatal for them. For infants and young children, however, it can be deadly. That's why getting your child vaccinated on schedule is so important.
It's easy to forget that diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria were once crippling and potentially deadly for American children. They seem almost harmless today, as we reach record-high vaccination rates. But parents must remember that immunizations are the reason that these illnesses are no longer a serious threat to their children.
Sometimes parents are concerned about having their children immunized. But they don't need to be. The U.S. has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. Vaccines go through rigorous testing before use and are continually monitored for safety. They rarely cause side effects -- often no more than a slight fever or soreness at the injection site.
View the most current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Immunizations Guides:
Children age 0 - 6 years
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2009/09_0-6yrs_schedule_pr.pdf
Youth age 7 - 18 years
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2009/09_7-18yrs_schedule_pr.pdf
Catch-Up Schedules for 4 months - 18 years
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2009/09_catch-up_schedule_pr.pdf