Vaccination and Immunization
New-borns have an immature immune system that renders them at high risk for infection while simultaneously reducing responses to most vaccines, thereby posing challenges in protecting this vulnerable population. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or reduce the effects of infection by any natural or "wild" pathogen. Many vaccines require multiple doses for maximum effectiveness, either to produce sufficient initial immune response or to boost response that fades over time. For example, tetanus vaccine boosters are often recommended every 10 years. Vaccine schedules are developed by governmental agencies or physicians’ groups to achieve maximum effectiveness using required and recommended vaccines for a locality while minimizing the number of health care system interactions.
- Neonatal skin diseases
- Influenza vaccine
- Chickenpox vaccine