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Immunization and Vaccines |
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Diphtheria is a very serious bacterial infection.
It can cause breathing problems, heart failure,
paralysis (loss of control over muscles in the body)
and death.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
causes severe coughing spells for
weeks or months. It can also cause
pneumonia (lung infection), middle
ear infection, convulsions (seizures),
inflammation of the brain and death. The risk of
complications is greatest in children younger than
one year.
Tetanus (Lockjaw) causes painful muscle spasms,
breathing failure and death. It is caused by bacteria
and spores in the soil which can infect wounds.
Polio can cause paralysis (loss of control over
muscles in the body), inflammation of the brain and
death. People get polio from drinking water or eating
food with the polio virus in it. It is no longer
common in Canada because of high immunization
rates, but cases do occur in other countries.
Haemophilus B (Hib) is a bacteria
that can infect any part of the body.
It can cause middle ear infections,
breathing problems, damage to joints,
pneumonia (lung infection), and
inflammation of the brain leading to
brain damage and death.
Measles (Red Measles) causes rash,
high fever, cough, runny nose and watery
eyes. It can cause middle ear infection,
pneumonia (lung infection), inflammation of
the brain, hearing loss, brain damage and death.
Mumps causes fever, headache, earache, painful
swelling of the glands in the mouth and neck, and
can cause inflammation of the brain. It can also
cause temporary or permanent deafness, as
well as swelling of the ovaries in women and
testes in men, possibly leading to sterility.
Rubella (German Measles) causes fever,
rash, swelling of the neck glands and swelling
and pain in the joints. It can cause bruising
and bleeding. If a pregnant woman gets rubella,
it is very dangerous for the unborn baby.
Pneumococcal Disease* is a bacterial
infection which causes middle ear infections, pneumonia
(lung infection), sepsis (blood infection), and an
infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
The number of vaccine doses depends on the age of the
child at first dose. It is offered free of charge for infants
up to two years of age born on or after January 1, 2004
or to individuals with special health needs.
Meningococcal Meningitis* is an
infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord
caused by a bacteria. It can cause a serious infection in
the blood and/or inflammation of the brain leading to
brain damage and death. It is carried in the nose and
throat of approximately 30 out of every 100 healthy
people. Offered free of charge for one year-old or
12 year-old children (grade 7) or 15 to 19 year-old youth.
Chickenpox* (Varicella) is a virus that can
cause scarring of the skin, skin infections,
pneumonia (lung infection), inflammation of the
brain and death. It can also cause "shingles",
a painful rash later in life. Offered free of charge
for one year-old children, five year-olds who have
not had chickenpox or individuals with special
health needs.
Hepatitis B B is a virus that can cause serious liver
problems including liver failure, liver cancer and
death. The vaccine is free to grade 7 students and
anyone at increased risk for this disease.
Influenza (Flu) is a viral infection of the nose,
throat and lungs and causes cough, high fever, chills,
headache and muscle pain. It can cause pneumonia
(lung infection), middle ear infections, infection
of the breathing tubes, heart failure and death.
The danger of this infection varies from year to year
depending on the strain, and can be
mild to life-threatening. Everyone
over six months of age is
encouraged to get the vaccine
every year in the fall,
free of charge.
*Please see your doctor for more information.
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