Children's Vaccines Health Center

continued...

Talk to your doctor if you or your child plans to be in a group living situation, like a college dormitory or summer camp. You may want certain shots, like those for meningitis.

What vaccines are recommended for adults?

The vaccines you need as an adult(What is a PDF document?) depend not only on your age, lifestyle, overall health, pregnancy status, and travel plans but also on who you are in close contact with and what vaccines you had as a child.

Talk to your doctor about which vaccines you need. Depending on your situation, you may need vaccines for:

• Chickenpox.
• Flu.
• Hepatitis A and/or B.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Measles, mumps, and rubella.
• Pneumococcal disease.
• Polio.
• Shingles.
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

In some states, pharmacists can give some of these shots.

What are the side effects of vaccines?

Most side effects from vaccines are minor, if they occur at all. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the reactions that could occur. They may include:

• Redness, mild swelling, or soreness where the shot was given.
• A slight fever.
• Drowsiness, crankiness, and poor appetite.
• A mild rash 7 to 14 days after chickenpox or measles-mumps-rubella shots.
• Temporary joint pain after a measles-mumps-rubella shot.

Serious reactions, such as trouble breathing or a fever of 104.5°F (40.3°C) or higher, are rare. If you or your child has an unusual reaction, call your doctor.

It is much more dangerous for a child to risk getting the diseases than it is to risk having a serious reaction to the vaccine.

Can vaccines cause other problems?

Some parents question whether mercury-containing thimerosal (used as a preservative in vaccines) might cause autism. Studies have not found a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.¹ Today, all routine childhood vaccines made for the U.S. contain either no thimerosal or only trace amounts.²

False claims in the news have made some parents concerned about a link between autism and the shot for measles, mumps, and rubella. But studies have found no link between vaccines and autism.^{3, 4}