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The reality about vaccine-preventable diseases

Get balanced information about diseases and the vaccines that prevent them.

Many diseases that were once common are rarely seen today because of vaccines. That is why it can be easy to think these diseases are not serious and vaccines are not needed anymore. But these diseases are serious. And they are not gone. They are just kept in check by vaccines. If we stop vaccinating, they will come back.source: 1,source: 2 Many children will get seriously sick, and some will die. That’s why more than 92% of parents ensure their children are up to date on their vaccines before they start kindergarten.source: 3

Use the age filters below to learn how to give your child the best protection from serious diseases at every phase of their life. Routine vaccines are part of the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. If your child is not up to date on routine vaccines, talk to their doctor to learn how they can catch up.

Your child may need additional vaccines depending on travel plans and/or medical history. Talk to their doctor about what additional vaccines your child may need.

 

Chickenpox (Varicella)

The chickenpox vaccines prevent more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox every year.4

Learn more : Chickenpox (Varicella)

COVID-19

Even if your child gets COVID-19, being vaccinated makes them unlikely to get seriously ill.5

Learn more : COVID-19

Diphtheria

Thanks to most kids getting diphtheria vaccines, cases have dropped by 99.9% since the 1920s.6

Learn more : Diphtheria

Flu (Influenza)

Millions of kids have been safely vaccinated against the flu in the last 50+ years.7

Learn more : Flu (Influenza)

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A used to be more common, but the vaccine prevents thousands of cases each year.8

Learn more : Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

The hepatitis B vaccine has protected infants from developing chronic liver issues for over 30 years.9

Learn more : Hepatitis B

Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B)

Thanks to most kids getting vaccinated, serious cases of Hib disease have dropped by more than 99% since 1991.10

Learn more : Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B)

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

HPV infections cause about 36,000 cancers each year. HPV vaccines can prevent 90% of them.11

Learn more : HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

Measles

Measles can cause brain damage and death, but measles cases have dropped 99% thanks to vaccines.12

Learn more : Measles

Meningitis (Meningococcal)

Preteens and teens have a higher risk for meningitis. Since the vaccines were introduced, cases of three types of the disease have dropped by over 90%.13

Learn more : Meningitis (Meningococcal)

Mumps

Mumps cases have gone down by 99% since the mumps vaccination program began over 50 years ago.14

Learn more : Mumps

Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)

Kids are part of the 150,000 hospitalizations from pneumonia each year, but vaccines help protect them from getting pneumonia in the first place.15

Learn more : Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)

Polio

Polio once killed thousands, but is now largely eliminated in the United States because the vaccine series is over 99% effective.16,17

Learn more : Polio

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV)

RSV is one of the leading causes of infant hospitalization, but the RSV antibody can help your baby fight infection.18

Learn more : Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV)

Rotavirus

Because of the rotavirus vaccine, very few children are hospitalized with the disease—over 94% of children are protected from severe illness.19

Learn more : Rotavirus

Rubella (German Measles)

A vaccine that protects against rubella has been in use for more than 50 years.20 While the disease was declared eliminated from the United States, continued vaccination helps ensure it stays eliminated.21

Learn more : Rubella (German Measles)

Tetanus (Lockjaw)

Due to routine tetanus vaccinations, deaths from tetanus have dropped by 99% in the U.S. since 1947.22

Learn more : Tetanus (Lockjaw)

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Thanks to most kids getting whooping cough vaccines, cases of the disease have decreased more than 75%.23

Learn more : Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Common Questions: Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Vaccines are some of the most studied medical interventions in the world. The United States has many requirements that make sure vaccines are safe, effective, and high quality. Among these are extensive testing before approval and rigorous safety monitoring after approval.

Learn more : How do I know vaccines are safe for my child?

Vaccines help protect your child against diseases that can cause severe illness and even death. Missing or delaying vaccines puts your child at risk for illnesses you can prevent.

Learn more : Why does my child need routine vaccines?

Since routine vaccination began, the number of children who get sick or die from diseases that vaccines prevent has greatly decreased. Vaccines are so successful that some diseases are rarely seen in the United States anymore. Without vaccines, diseases that are rare can—and do—come back.

Learn more : How do we know vaccines work?

View More Common Questions

Quiz: How well do you know the risks?

Question 1 of 5: How many childhood deaths have routine vaccines prevented?

Correct

Very good!

Incorrect

No, vaccines have saved many more children!

Vaccines are expected to prevent more than 1 million deaths among children in the United States who were born between 1994 and 2023. That’s more than the entire population of Denver, Colorado.

Question 2 of 5: What diseases have vaccines wiped from the face of the earth?

Correct

Yes! Before a vaccine was used to eradicate smallpox, 3 out of 10 people who had it died.

Incorrect

Good try, but only smallpox has been wiped from the face of the earth. Before a vaccine was used to eradicate smallpox, 3 out of 10 people who had it died.

But we are also very close to eradicating polio. Polio paralyzed almost 21,000 people in the U.S. in 1952 alone. Polio is rare in the United States, but it still exists in a few countries in Asia and Africa. Remember, we still need to vaccinate until polio is gone everywhere, because viruses, just like people, travel.

Question 3 of 5: What are the risks of serious side effects happening after vaccination?

Correct

Yes! Generally, only 1–2 vaccine doses in 1 million will result in a severe allergic reaction.

Incorrect

No, the risk is much, much smaller. Generally, only 1–2 vaccine doses in 1 million will result in a severe allergic reaction.

To put that in perspective, you have a 1 in 15,300 chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime and a 1 in 46,744 chance of dying from a hornet, wasp, or bee sting—both much more likely than having a severe allergic reaction from a vaccine.

It’s important to understand the true risk of something to make an informed decision.

Question 4 of 5: If one person has measles, how contagious is it in people who are not immune?

Correct

Correct! Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. If 1 person has it, 9 out of 10 people close to that person will also get measles if they aren't protected.

Incorrect

No, measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. If 1 person has it, 9 out of 10 people close to that person will also get measles if they aren't protected.

Measles can live in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves an area. It can be a very serious disease:

  • 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles will be hospitalized
  • 1 in 20 unvaccinated children who get measles will get pneumonia
  • Unvaccinated pregnant women who get measles may have a premature or low birth weight baby

Question 5 of 5: Why do we still need to vaccinate for whooping cough?

Correct

Yes! All the answers are correct. Whooping cough can be very serious for babies.

Incorrect

Actually, all the answers are correct. Whooping cough can be very serious for babies.

Thanks to most kids getting whooping cough vaccines, cases of the disease have decreased more than 75%. And getting vaccinated while pregnant passes protection to the baby. This helps protect the baby before they’re old enough to get their own vaccine.

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Vaccine safety

Vaccines go through rigorous testing and monitoring to ensure they are safe for your child.source: 24,source: 25,source: 26

Learn more: Vaccine safety

Vaccine science

The science behind vaccines helps us understand how they work and why they are effective.

Learn more: Vaccine science

Vaccine schedule

Sticking to the vaccine schedule helps protect your child against more than a dozen diseases.source: 27,source: 28

Learn more: Vaccine schedule

Sources

  1. FDA: Vaccines Protect Children From Harmful Infectious Diseases
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics: 14 Diseases You Almost Forgot About Thanks to Vaccines
  3. CDC: Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners
  4. CDC: Chickenpox Vaccine Saves Lives Infographic
  5. CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions
  6. HHS: Diphtheria
  7. CDC: Flu Vaccine Safety
  8. CDC: Pink Book: Hepatitis A
  9. HHS: Hepatitis B
  10. HHS: Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B)
  11. CDC: Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Reasons to Get Vaccinated
  12. CDC: Measles Vaccination
  13. CDC: About Meningococcal Vaccination
  14. CDC: Mumps Cases and Outbreaks
  15. CDC: Pink Book: Pneumococcal Disease
  16. CDC: Polio Vaccine Effectiveness and Duration of Protection
  17. CDC: Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999 Impact of Vaccines Universally Recommended for Children -- United States, 1990-1998
  18. CDC: RSV in Infants and Young Children
  19. CDC: Rotavirus Vaccination
  20. CDC: Pink Book: Rubella
  21. HHS: Rubella (German Measles)
  22. CDC: Tetanus Surveillance and Trends
  23. CDC: Pink Book: Pertussis
  24. CDC: How Vaccines are Developed and Approved for Use
  25. FDA: Vaccine Facts: Why You and your Family Need Vaccines
  26. FDA: Vaccine Development – 101
  27. CDC: Reasons to Follow CDC’s Recommended Immunization Schedule
  28. CDC: Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age
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