Questions Parents Frequently Ask About Vaccines

My child was accidentally given an extra dose of hepatitis B vaccine. My doctor told me this would be okay, but I wanted to get someone else’s opinion.
The recommended schedule for hepatitis B vaccine includes a series of three doses. However, the use of the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine given alone and subsequent hepatitis B vaccines given as part of a combination vaccine given at 2, 4 and 6 months of age may mean that some children receive four, not three doses, of hepatitis B vaccine. There is no evidence that an extra dose is deleterious to the child and arguably, an extra dose would further boost immunity.

Can my child get the vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella separately?
Some parents have been concerned by media reports claiming that the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was a contributing cause of autism. However, 14 excellent scientific studies have conclusively proven that the incidence of autism is the same in children who receive MMR vaccine as in those who don’t receive the vaccine. Therefore, there is no reason to separate the vaccine into three shots when it can be safely given as a single shot.

I heard that there is a new meningococcus vaccine, but my son just got the old one a year ago. Should he get the new one?
In February 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all adolescents entering middle school (11 - 12 years old) and high school (15 years old) receive a new meningococcal vaccine. The new vaccine is recommended because it is more likely to eliminate bacteria from the nose and throat (making children who carry bacteria less contagious) and more likely to require a single dose that affords lifelong protection than the older version of the vaccine. The older meningococcal vaccine required frequent booster dosing every three to five years. If your child already received the older meningococcal vaccine (called the polysaccharide vaccine), it would still be of value to get the new vaccine. The new vaccine could be given as soon as one month after the last dose of the older vaccine.

My daughter had a fever and swelling from her last dose of DTaP vaccine. Is it likely that this will occur the next time too or should I not give her additional doses of that vaccine?
Some children develop pain, swelling or tenderness after a dose of DTaP vaccine. It is possible that the same reaction may happen with the next dose. However, the benefits of getting a vaccine to protect against a disease like whooping cough (the “P” in the DTaP vaccine stands for pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough) outweighs the discomfort of the vaccine. Whooping cough is still very common in the United States and is a common cause of hospitalization. The pain and swelling might be relieved by giving ibuprofen or acetominophen prior to the vaccine.