News
Vaccine Updates
Posted on: 08/10/2007
The newest recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control is to provide a second varicella (chicken pox) vaccination to all children at the time of entry to kindergarten. However, due to the national shortage, we have prioritized giving the vaccination to those children who have never received the first one. As supplies increase, we will continue to "catch up" those who need a second shot. It is not an Illinois requirement to have two chicken pox shots before entering school, but that may change in the next few years.
Another new recommendation is universal vaccination against hepatitis A. Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease, separate from hepatitis B, for which children are currently immunized. At Wheaton Pediatrics, we are currently giving the two dose series of hepatitis A at ages 12 and 18 amonths. Older children can receive the shots upon request. For more detailed explanation, please see our Vaccine Information Page.
Our office is continuing to offer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a new vaccine that is designed to prevent cervical cancer. HPV is extremely common: about 20 million people in the US are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. HPV is spread through sexual contact. Most HPV infections don't cause any symptoms, and go away on their own. But HPV can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year, about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3700 die from it. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world. More than 50% of secually active men and women are infected with HPV at sometime in their lives. The vaccine is recommended for girls 11-12 years old. It can be given to girls as young as 9 years, and as old as 26 years. The vaccine schedule includes the first dose, the second dose 2 months later, and the third dose 6 months after the first dose. If you have any questions, please ask one of our providers. For more information, please see www.cispimmunize.org
