The nurse depicted in this 2006 photograph, was in the process of administering an intramuscular vaccination in the left shoulder muscle of a young girl. The nurse was pinching the overlying shoulder skin, in order to immobilize the injection site.
Immunization is one of the most important things a parent can do to protect their children’s health. Today, we can protect children younger than two years old from 14 serious diseases including:
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (bacterial meningitis);Diphtheria; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Influenza; Measles; Mumps; Pertussis (whooping cough); Pneumococcal disease; Polio; Rubella (German measles); Tetanus (lockjaw); Rotavirus; Varicella (chickenpox);
At least one vaccine is needed for each of these diseases, and for some diseases several doses are required for the best protection. Several “combination vaccines” exist in which multiple vaccines are given in a single shot, reducing the number of shots needed.
