Vaccination Quiz
Vaccines have made certain childhood diseases rare in this country. Find out more
about vaccines by taking this quiz.
1. The first vaccine developed was against smallpox.
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The first vaccine was developed in 1796, by a British doctor, Edward Jenner. The word
vaccine comes from a Latin word relating to cows. That's because the first vaccine
was based on cowpox, a mild disease of cattle and people, but it also protected against
the much more deadly smallpox virus.
2. To offer the widest protection against a certain disease such as measles or diphtheria,
at least 90% of children should be vaccinated.
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If 9 in 10 children are
vaccinated, the disease cannot spread far even if someone not vaccinated gets it.
This
is sometimes called "community" or herd" immunity. This means unvaccinated people
are
protected by the great number of others immune to the illness.
3. Vaccines work by teaching your immune system to know what the real infection looks
like.
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Before vaccines, the only way to become immune to a disease was to actually get it
and survive it. Vaccines provide an easier and less risky way to become immune. A
vaccine trains the immune system by appearing like a natural infection. A vaccine
is made from a weakened live germ, killed germ, or parts of the germ.
4. Some vaccines against bacterial infections contain inactivated
substances or chemicals (toxins and other compounds) that those bacteria make.
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Vaccines that contain inactivated toxins include the shots for tetanus and diphtheria.
Another type of vaccine uses substances called polysaccharides from the cell wall
to cause immunity.
5. The yearly flu vaccine is recommended only for people 50 and older.
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The CDC recommends an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months or older.
6. Adults need a booster for tetanus and diphtheria every 10
years.
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You may also need other
vaccines, depending on your health and lifestyle. Check with your healthcare provider.
Because of the increasing number of whooping cough (pertussis) cases in adults, 2
booster vaccines are now available for adults. These vaccines protect against pertussis,
diphtheria, and tetanus. Pregnant people may get a booster shot for whooping cough
shortly before childbirth to protect their newborn.
7. A vaccine is available to protect women against cervical
cancer.
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The CDC recommends that
all children who are 11 or 12 years old get a 2-shot series of the HPV vaccine at
least
6 months apart. The vaccine series can start at age 9. The HPV vaccine is recommended
for all adults through age 26 if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger.
Teens and young adults who start the vaccine series between ages 15 and 26 need 3
doses
of the HPV vaccine. In some people, the HPV vaccine may be advised between the ages
of
27 and 45. Talk with your healthcare provider to learn more.
8. Fever and soreness at the site of the injection are two mild reactions that may
occur after getting a vaccine.
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Most people who get vaccinated have no side effects from a vaccine. But mild reactions
such as fever or soreness at the injection site can occur, the CDC says.
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