Immunization Also called: Vaccination

Shots may hurt a little, but the diseases they can prevent are a lot worse. Some are even life-threatening. Immunization shots, or vaccinations, are essential. They protect against things like measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Immunizations are important for adults as well as children.

Your immune system helps your body fight germs by producing substances to combat them. Once it does, the immune system “remembers” the germ and can fight it again. Vaccines contain germs that have been killed or weakened. When given to a healthy person, the vaccine triggers the immune system to respond and thus build immunity.

Before vaccines, people became immune only by actually getting a disease and surviving it. Immunizations are an easier and less risky way to become immune.

Get Shots to Protect Your Health (Adults Ages 19 to 49) (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)Also in Spanish
Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule for ages 19 years or older, United States, 2019 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Vaccine Basics (Department of Health and Human Services)
Vaccines for Adults: Which Do You Need?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
Vaccines.gov (Department of Health and Human Services)Also in Spanish

Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Adults(Immunization Action Coalition) – PDFAlso in Spanish

Community Immunity: How Vaccines Protect Us All (National Institutes of Health)
Fainting (Syncope) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Heart Disease, Stroke, or Other Cardiovascular Disease and Adult Vaccination(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
HIV Infection and Adult Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Ingredients of Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Is Your Adult Vaccination Record Up to Date? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Liver Disease and Adult Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Protect Yourself with Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Vaccinations for Adults with Diabetes (Immunization Action Coalition) – PDF
Vaccine Adverse Events (Food and Drug Administration)
Vaccines and Thimerosal (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Weakened Immune System and Adult Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Who Should Not Get Vaccinated with These Vaccines?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Vaccine-Preventable Disease Photos (Immunization Action Coalition)

What Vaccines Do You Need? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish

Vaccines (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish

Safeguarding Our Health: Vaccines Protect Us All (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
VaxView: Vaccination Coverage [data] in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaccine Adverse Reactions (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaccines (National Institutes of Health)

Glossary of Vaccine Terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Overview of the Immune System (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Travelers’ Health: Destinations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Vaccine Finder (Department of Health and Human Services)

Childhood Immunization: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Immunization and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
Immunization for Women (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
Vaccines and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists)Also in Spanish