Immunizations

School - Zap the Flu

Mollen Immunization Clinics has developed a comprehensive school influenza immunization program called "Zap the Flu at School". This School Based Immunization Program has been designed to assist schools and communities in implementing the recommendations of both the Advisory Committees on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for influenza vaccination in school districts across the country.

Nursing Jobs

RN, LPN and LVN nurses needed for flu shot clinics and wellness programs. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills are essential. Requires accurate patient documentation and consent form completion. Reliable transportation is a must. If you are interested in any part-time or full-time seasonal positions with us, please register here.

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Why We Vaccinate - Purpose of Immunizations

The purpose of immunizations is to prevent disease. Today, children in the United States routinely get vaccines that protect them from 14 diseases. All of these diseases have, at one time or another, been a serious threat to children in this country. Most of them are now at their lowest levels in history, thanks to years of immunization.

Because we don’t see these diseases every day they might not seem as scary as they used to. Some of them might not even be familiar to many parents. Fifty years ago, measles was one of the most common diseases in the country - virtually every child got it. But today, most parents will never know a child with measles; in fact, most doctors will never see a case.

But measles still infects about 23 million people around the world every year and kills about 480,000 of them. An infected person can travel to the United States, and we can travel anywhere in the world. A single case of disease will remain a single case if everyone around the infected person is immune. If they are not, a single case can turn into an epidemic. By vaccinating we will make sure these 14 diseases will not become everyday events for our children ever again.

Diphtheria
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hib disease (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
Influenza (Flu)
Measles
Mumps
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Pneumococcal Disease
Polio
Rotavirus
Rubella (German Measles)
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Varicella (Chickenpox)

1. Diphtheria

Diphtheria caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It lives in the mouth, throat and nose of an infected person and can be spread to others by coughing or sneezing. A child with diphtheria can infect others for 2 to 4 weeks.

Diphtheria can initially cause a sore throat, fever and chills. But if it is not properly diagnosed and treated it produces a toxin (poison) that can cause serious complications such as heart failure or paralysis. About 1 person out of 10 who get diphtheria dies from it.

Diphtheria used to be a major cause of childhood illness and death. Through the 1920s about 150,000 people a year got diphtheria in the United States, and about 15,000 of them died.

2. Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Until 2004 it was the most frequently reported type of hepatitis in the United States. Disease rates have been dropping since 1995, when a vaccine was licensed. There are now estimated to be about 20,000 cases a year in the United States. The virus is found mainly in bowel movements and is spread through personal contact or by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

Children under 6 often don’t show any signs of illness, but for older children signs include fever, loss of appetite, tiredness, stomach pain, vomiting, dark urine, and yellow skin or eyes (jaundice). Hepatitis A does not cause long-term illness or permanent liver damage, but about 100 people die each year from liver failure caused by severe hepatitis A.

3. Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is also a liver disease (the word “hepatitis” comes from the Greek words for “liver” and “inflammation”). It is caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is spread through contact with the blood, or other body fluids, of an infected person. Adolescents and adults can be infected through sharing drug needles or through unprotected sex, and health-care and public safety workers are often exposed to blood in the course of their jobs. Pregnant women can infect their newborn babies. People infected with hepatitis B might not feel sick, or might suffer loss of appetite or tiredness, muscle or stomach pains, diarrhea or vomiting, or yellow skin or eyes (jaundice).

People usually recover from hepatitis B after several weeks, but others become “chronically infected.” They might not feel sick themselves, but they continue to carry the virus and can infect other people. A baby who is born to a chronically infected mother has a 70%-90% chance of being infected at birth. Many people who are chronically infected will suffer from serious problems such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.

More than a million people in the United States are chronically infected with hepatitis B. In 1996 an estimated 200,000 people became infected, and 4,000 to 5,000 people die each year from hepatitis B.

4. Hib disease (Haemophilus influenzae type b)

Not long ago Hib disease (Haemophilus influenzae type b) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children less than 5 years old. As recently as the mid-1980s it struck one child out of every 200 in that age group. About 1 in 4 of these children suffered permanent brain damage, and about 1 in 20 died.

Hib disease is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, and even breathing. If the bacteria stay in a child’s nose and throat, the child will probably not get sick. But if they spread to the lungs or bloodstream, the child can get meningitis (inflammation of the covering of the brain), pneumonia, epiglottitis (inflammation in the throat), arthritis, or other problems. A child who is infected can spread the disease to others for as long as the bacteria remain in the body. Antibiotics can stop spread in 2 to 4 days.

5. Influenza (Flu)

Influenza (Flu) is a seasonal illness, occurring mainly during the winter. It is caused by influenza virus. Influenza viruses are continually changing, meaning that immunity you acquire one year will not necessarily protect you in future years. This makes influenza different from most diseases, in that you can get it more than once. It also means that it is important to be re-immunized every year.

Influenza is spread from person to person through sneezing, coughing or breathing. Signs and symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, headache, chills and muscle aches. Young children might also have vomiting and diarrhea. Complications can include ear and sinus infections, pneumonia, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), and death. Influenza causes more deaths (about 36,000 per year) than any other vaccine-preventable disease. Most of these are among the elderly, but some children also die. Hospitalization rates are high among children, particularly those less than 1 year old.

6. Measles

Measles is a viral illness that causes a rash all over the body. It also causes fever, runny nose and cough. About 1 out of 10 children with measles also get an ear infection, and up to 1 out of 20 get pneumonia. About 1 out of 1,000 get encephalitis, and 1 or 2 out of 1,000 die. While measles is almost gone from the United States, it still kills about half a million people a year around the world. Measles can also make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage or give birth prematurely.

Measles spreads through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. It is so contagious that any child who is exposed to it and is not immune will probably get the disease. Before measles vaccine, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15. Each year about 450 people died because of measles, 48,000 were hospitalized, 7,000 had seizures, and about 1,000 suffered permanent brain damage or deafness. Today there are only about 50 cases a year reported in the United States, and most of these originate outside the country.

7. Mumps

Mumps is best known for the swelling of the cheeks and jaw that it causes, a result of inflammation of the salivary glands. Mumps also causes a fever and headache. It is usually a mild disease, but it leads to meningitis in about 1 child in 10 who get the disease. It can occasionally cause encephalitis, deafness (about 1 in 20,000 cases), or even death (about 1 in 10,000 cases).

Mumps is caused by the mumps virus, which is spread from person to person through the air. Before a vaccine was available mumps was a very common childhood illness. About 152,000 cases were reported each year. Now mumps is very uncommon, with only 314 cases reported in 2005.

8. Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis. If you have ever seen a child with pertussis you won’t forget it. The child coughs violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from her lungs and she is forced to inhale with the loud “whooping” sound that gives the disease its nickname, whooping cough.

Pertussis is a very contagious disease, and one that is fairly common in the United States, even today. In 2005, over 25,000 cases were reported. While this is down considerably from the approximately 150,000 cases a year before the vaccine, it still makes it one of the most common vaccine-preventable childhood diseases in the country. It is spread from person to person through personal contact, coughing and sneezing.

At first pertussis resembles a common cold, with sneezing, runny nose, fever and a mild cough. But after 1 or 2 weeks the severe coughing spells begin. Pertussis is most severe in infants less than 1 year old. More than half of these infants who get the disease must be hospitalized. Older children and adults can get pertussis too, but it is usually not as serious. Many infants who get pertussis catch it from their older brothers and sisters, or from their parents - who might not even know they have the disease.

About 1 child in 10 who get pertussis also gets pneumonia, and about 1 in 50 will have convulsions. The brain is affected in about 1 person out of 250 (this is called encephalopathy). Pertussis causes about 10-20 deaths each year in the United States.

9. Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It is usually thought of as a disease of the elderly, but it also takes its toll among our children. In 1998, before a vaccine for children was licensed, about 188 of every 100,000 children younger than 2 years of age developed invasive pneumococcal disease (for instance, meningitis or blood infections). It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the country, hitting children under 1 year old the hardest. About 200 children died from invasive pneumococcal disease each year. Pneumococcal disease is also a common cause of ear infections. There are about 90 subgroups (serotypes) of the pneumococcal bacterium, but 7 of these have accounted for about 80% of infections among children younger than 6 years of age.

Pneumococcal disease is spread through the air. It can be spread by anyone who is infected, even if they don’t have symptoms. It is most common during the winter and early spring. All children are susceptible to pneumococcal disease, but some are more susceptible than others, including African Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and children with certain medical conditions such as sickle cell disease or HIV infection, or those who don’t have a functioning spleen.

10. Polio

Polio is a disease that has caused paralysis in millions of children worldwide over the years. In the United States, 6,000 people died and another 27,000 were paralyzed during a major epidemic in 1916. Polio reached a peak in the United States in the 1950s, when parents were terrified that the disease would leave their children unable to walk or force them to spend the rest of their life in an iron lung. With the appearance of the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines, the disease began to disappear, and there is no longer any wild polio in the country.

Polio is caused by a virus that lives in the throat and intestinal tract. It is spread mainly through contact with the feces of an infected person (for instance, by changing diapers). Some children who get polio don’t feel ill at all. Others, have the symptoms of a common cold, sometimes accompanied by pain and stiff-ness in the neck, back and legs. But some children get severe muscle pain, and within a week can be paralyzed - in other words, lose the use of their muscles. Usually paralysis affects a child’s legs, but it can also affect other muscles, including those that control breathing. There is no treatment for polio, and some children die from it.

Even though there is no polio in the United States, it is still common in some parts of the world. We are working towards eliminating it from the rest of the world within the next few years.

11. Rotavirus

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) in the world among young children. It kills about 500,000 children a year worldwide.

Every year in the United States, rotavirus is responsible for:

2.5 million cases of gastroenteritis
400,000 doctor visits
200,000 emergency room visits
55,000 - 70,000 hospitalizations
20-60 deaths

Most children will have been infected at least once by the time they reach 5 years of age. There are several strains of rotavirus and children can be infected more than once, but the first case is usually the most serious.

In addition to diarrhea and vomiting, rotavirus infections cause a fever of 102°F or higher in about one-third of cases. Severe dehydration can be a serious complication associated with rotavirus infection.

Rotavirus is shed in the stool. It can be spread by direct contact with an infected person, or by contact with contaminated objects such as toys, or even food. The disease is spread within families, hospitals, and child-care facilities. Caregivers and parents can also be infected, but infections in young children are much more serious. People with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.

Rates of rotavirus illness are similar in industrialized and less developed countries. This suggests that we can’t eliminate the disease through clean water and good hygiene alone.

12. Rubella (German Measles)

Rubella is sometime called German Measles or 3-day Measles. It is a generally mild disease caused by the rubella virus. It usually strikes in the winter and spring, and causes a slight fever, a rash on the face and neck, and (when teenagers or adults get the disease) swollen glands in the back of the neck and arthritis-like symptoms in the joints. It is spread from person to person through the air, by coughing, sneezing or breathing.

The greatest danger from rubella is to unborn babies. If a woman gets rubella in the early months of her pregnancy, there is an 80% chance that her baby will be born deaf or blind, with a damaged heart or small brain, or mentally retarded. This is called Congenital Rubella Syndrome, or CRS. Miscarriages are also common among women who get rubella while they are pregnant.

The last major rubella epidemic in the United States was in 1964-1965, when about 12.5 million people got the disease and 20,000 babies were born with CRS. Several years later a vaccine was licensed, and the disease has been disappearing ever since. Today there are fewer than 20 cases reported each year.

13. Tetanus (Lockjaw)

Tetanus (lockjaw) differs from other vaccine-preventable diseases in that it is not contagious. It does not spread from person to person. Clostridium tetani bacteria are usually found in soil, dust, and manure, and they enter the body through breaks in the skin. Children usually become infected through deep puncture wounds or cuts, like those made by nails or knives. But the bacteria can enter through even a tiny pinprick or scratch. Children can also get tetanus following severe burns, ear infections, tooth infections, or animal bites.

When tetanus gets into the body it can take up to 3 weeks for the first symptoms to appear. These are usually a headache, crankiness, and spasms of the jaw muscles. The bacteria produce a toxin (poison), which spreads throughout the body, causing painful muscle spasms in the neck, arms, legs, and stomach. These can be strong enough to break a child’s bones. Children with tetanus might have to spend several weeks in the hospital under intensive care.

The number of tetanus cases in the United States has fallen from about 500 a year in the 1940s to only about 50 cases a year today. But 2 out of every 10 people who get tetanus die from it.

14. Varicella (Chickenpox)

Varicella (Chickenpox) was, until recently, one of the most common of childhood diseases. Before there was a vaccine, almost everyone got it - there were about 4 million cases a year in the United States.

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Its most recognizable feature is an itchy rash all over the body. It also causes fever and drowsiness. It is spread from person to person through the air, by coughing, sneezing or breathing, and can also be spread by contact with fluid from the blisters.

It usually takes 2-3 weeks from the time of exposure for a person to become ill, and an infected person is contagious from 1 or 2 days before the rash appears until all the blisters are dried up, usually 4 to 5 days after.

Chickenpox is usually mild, but it occasionally causes serious problems. The blisters can become infected, and some children get encephalitis. Among infants less than 1 year old who get the disease, about 1 in 250,000 die. For older children, about 1 in 100,000 die. If a woman gets chickenpox just before or after giving birth, her baby can get very sick, and about 1 in 3 of these babies will die if not treated quickly. About 1 child in 500 who gets chickenpox is hospitalized (about 1 in 50 adults). After a person has chickenpox the virus stays in the body. Years later it can cause a painful disease called herpes zoster, or shingles.