When we get sick from infection with a virus or bacteria, we usually will not get that illness again. Our body’s immune system responds and remembers that specific virus or bacteria and kills it off if we are exposed to it again. Vaccines work in the same way by developing immunity or protection against a specific virus or bacteria that can make us ill.
Infants & Toddlers
Our youngest Virginians are the most vulnerable when it comes to serious illnesses and diseases. Newborns receive some natural immunity from their mother, but it quickly fades. That is why it’s very… Continue
Adolescents
Vaccines are not just for babies anymore. Pre-teens, ages 9-12, and teens have different needs for immunizations. Teens are more social and take more risks, so they are likely to catch… Continue
Adults
We never outgrow the need for vaccines. By the time we are adults, our immune systems have fought many infections and developed protection. But some adults may not have been immunized as children… Continue
Travelers
International travel is more popular and easier than ever. Unfortunately, serious diseases are only a plane ride away as well. Many countries have serious diseases that we simply do not see in the… Continue
Did You Know?
Vaccines are made with a form of the virus or bacteria that cannot make us sick like in hepatitis A or varicella (chickenpox). Sometimes a piece of the virus or bacteria is used to develop immunity like in the meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines.
On occasion, the poisons produced by the bacteria are the problem. They are more of a threat than the disease itself – tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccines are examples.