| Diseases prevented by vaccines |
| Diseases | Possible symptoms | Possible complications | Who should get vaccinated? |
| Tetanus | - Painful muscle spasms (beginning with jaw and going down the body)
- Difficulty swallowing (& later breathing)
| - Broken bones
- Pneumonia
- Death
| - Everyone
(1 dose every 10 years) |
| Diphtheria | - Sore throat & difficulty swallowing
- Fever & chills
- Difficulty breathing
| - Breathing problems
- Paralyzed muscles
- Heart & nerve damage
| - Everyone
(1 dose every 10 years) |
| Pertussis (whooping cough) | - Runny nose & nasal congestion
- Mild fever
- Cough (starts mild; can become severe and long-lasting)
| - Pneumonia
Infants are more likely to have severe complications (breathing difficulties, seizures, brain damage, death) | - Everyone
(1 booster dose as an adult and during each pregnancy) |
| Hepatitis A
&
Hepatitis B | - Fever
- Fatigue & loss of appetite
- Nausea & vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin & eyes, dark urine)
| Hepatitis A - Liver failure
- Death (rare; risk increases over age 60)
| - Everyone wanting protection
- Especially people with medical, occupational, travel or lifestyle risks
- Contacts of cases who have been exposed
(Usually 2-3 doses) |
| Human papillomavirus (HPV) | - Genital and/or anal warts
- Itching or burning
- Very often no symptoms
| - Cervical cancer & other cancers (e.g. anal, throat, tongue, vulvar, vaginal, penile)
- Warts in the airways
- Death
| - Females and males 9 to 26 years of age
- Females and males 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure
(Usually 2-3 doses) |
| Seasonal influenza (flu) | - High fever
- Headache, general aches & pains
- Fatigue & weakness
- Sore throat
- Coughing & chest discomfort
| - Bronchitis (inflammation of airways)
- Pneumonia
- Can worsen a chronic condition (e.g. asthma, congestive heart failure)
- Death
| - Everyone
(1 dose every year in the fall) |
| Meningococcal infection | - Sudden fever
- Severe headache
- Nausea & vomiting
- Red rash or tiny bruises on skin
- Stiff neck
| - Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
- Septicemia (infection of the blood)
- Amputation of one or more limbs
- Brain damage/ Coma/ Death
| - People with specific medical conditions
- People living in residential accommodation
(e.g. students, military)
(Usually 1 dose-depends on risk) |
| Pneumococcal infection | - Fever & chills
- Headache, earache, plugged nose
- Cough & difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
| - Pneumonia
- Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
- Septicemia (infection of the blood)
- Brain damage/ Death
| - Everyone 65 years and older
- People with specific medical conditions
(Usually 1 dose-depends on risk) |
| Herpes zoster (shingles) | - Headache, sensitivity to light
- Fatigue
- Anywhere on one side of body:
Skin pain, burning, itching or tingling, sensitivity to touch Red rash, fluid-filled skin blisters | - Post-herpetic neuralgia
(prolonged pain can last for years & affect daily activities) - Vision or hearing loss
- Severe skin infections
- Nerve damage
| - Everyone age 60 years and older
- Can also be given to people 50-59 years and those with specific medical risks
(1-2 doses depending on vaccine) |
