Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial disease of the nose, throat and skin. It causes sore throat, fever and chills. Diphtheria can also cause breathing problems, heart failure, nerve damage and death.
Whooping Cough is a bacteria that causes severe spells of coughing. The disease is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. It could cause pneumonia (lung infection), convulsions, brain damage or death, especially in young babies.
Lockjaw is caused by bacteria that lives in soil and can infect wounds. It causes muscles of the body to go into painful spasms, and can be fatal when muscles in the chest wall or throat are involved.
Polio is caused by a virus that destroys nerve cells. It can lead to paralysis, inflammation of the brain and death. Although Polio has been eliminated in North and South America, recently polio has returned in some countries where it was previously controlled. Polio can be brought back to Canada through travel activities, by people who have not been properly immunized against polio. Peel Public Health recommends everyone be immunized against polio and to consult with a physician if travelling to countries where there is risk of polio infection to make sure you have all the necessary vaccines.
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
Hib is a bacteria that can infect any part of the body. It can cause serious infections including meningitis, pneumonia, ear, bone and joint infections.
Measles is a virus that causes a generalized rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and white spots inside of the mouth. It can cause diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain.
Mumps is a virus that causes fever, headache and painful swelling of one or more of the glands in the mouth. Sometimes mumps can be more serious and cause swelling of the brain or its protective surface (encephalitis or meningitis). It can also cause temporary or permanent deafness or swelling of the testes or ovaries, resulting in infertility.
German Measles is a virus that causes low-grade fever, sore throat, mild rash and swelling of the glands, as well as painful and swollen joints. When a woman gets rubella during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage or severe disability for the baby.
Influenza is a serious respiratory infection that is caused by the influenza virus. It may cause headache, muscle pain, high fever, cough and chills. It may also cause pneumonia, middle ear infections, heart failure or death.
Colds, “stomach flu” and other viral infections are often confused with the flu but they are caused by viruses different from the flu virus. The flu is spread easily through coughing, sneezing or touching contaminated surfaces or objects. Flu strains change from year to year, so annual flu shots are recommended.
Chickenpox is caused by a virus that causes fluid filled blisters and low-grade fever. Complications of chickenpox can include skin infections, pneumonia, ear infections, arthritis, inflammation of the brain and in some cases, death. Chickenpox is highly contagious and is easily spread through the air or by direct contact with the chickenpox blisters and the fluid from the blisters.
Pneumococcal Disease is caused by bacteria that invade the lungs causing pneumonia and infections of the ears, lining of the brain and spinal cord. It can be fatal in people with certain chronic medical conditions and in the elderly.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that can cause liver failure, liver cancer and death. Some people who develop hepatitis B have no symptoms, but can carry the virus and transmit the virus to others, while others develop flu-like symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.
Meningococcal Disease (Meningitis)
Meningitis is caused by bacteria that can infect the blood, brain and spinal cord. It can also cause deafness, seizures, brain damage and death. The bacteria, commonly found in the nose and throat of healthy people (carriers), is spread by activities where saliva can be shared, such as kissing or sharing a drink.
HPV is a viral infection spread by skin-to-skin contact. Certain types of HPV can cause warts on the skin, genital warts, cell changes to the cervix or cervical cancer. Four strains of the virus are responsible for 70 per cent of cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts.
Revised: Thursday October 06 2011
