Vaccine Philosophy

The doctors at Genesee-Transit Pediatrics believe that immunizations are the single most important health service that we provide in order to give your child the best chance at a healthy life. We firmly support the American Academy of Pediatrics and the medical evidence behind the academy’s position that childhood vaccinations are safe when given in the currently established schedule, and that vaccines do not cause autism or developmental delays. We advocate for our patients, your children, on all aspects of providing care. The strength of this conviction is unwavering, and that is why we strongly recommend following the childhood immunization schedule, as published. We also, as parents, have followed the recommended schedule for our own children as well.

Thankfully, many parents and even pediatricians have not witnessed cases of diphtheria, tetanus, bacterial meningitis, epiglottitis, and measles because of the successful vaccination campaigns of the past. We should not be casual about this issue nor let down our guard against these incapacitating and deadly illnesses.

Refusing or delaying vaccines puts your child and the children of your community at risk. Currently about 10% of children in the United States are unvaccinated. With this statistic on the rise unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children no longer have the benefit of “herd immunity” to protect them from vaccine communicable diseases. Non-immunized children become ill and allow these vaccine preventable illnesses to spread through a community. In the process, children with immune deficiencies or cancer, who are unable to receive vaccines, are susceptible, as well. This may be a child in your daughter’s classroom, a girl you pass by at the grocery store, or a boy sitting next to you in our waiting room.

You have put your trust in us to care for your children. Trust us to keep your children safe from vaccine communicable illnesses. Their lives may depend on it.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact us today.

Darlene A. Dzik, MD, John A. Dzik, MD,
Khristina Kasuba, MD, & Alessandra M. Palma, MD

Immunization Schedule

Age	Vaccination
Newborn	Hepatitis B (offered at birth hospital)
2 months	Pediarix(DTaP/Polio/Hepatitis B), Hib, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus
4 months	Pediarix(DTaP/Polio/Hepatitis B), Hib, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus
6 months	Pediarix(DTaP/Polio/Hepatitis B), Hib, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus
12 months	MMR, Chicken Pox, Hepatitis A
15 months	DTaP, HIB, Pneumococcal
18 months or 2 years	Hepatitis A
4-5 years	Kinrix(DTaP/Polio), Proquad(MMR/Chicken Pox)
10 years	Tdap, HPV
11 years	Meningococcal ACWY; HPV
16 years	Meningococcal ACWY
16-18 years	Meningococcal B
20 years	Tdap

*6 months and older eligible for Flu vaccine and Covid vaccines*

VIS—Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine

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1. Why get vaccinated?

Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by a type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. It can lead to meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and infections of the blood. Meningococcal disease often occurs without warning — even among people who are otherwise healthy.

Meningococcal disease can spread from person to person through close contact (coughing or kissing) or lengthy contact, especially among people living in the same household.

There are at least 12 types of N. meningitidis, called "serogroups." Serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y cause most meningococcal disease.

Anyone can get meningococcal disease but certain people are at increased risk, including:

Infants younger than one year old
Adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years old
People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system
Microbiologists who routinely work with isolates of N. meningitidis
People at risk because of an outbreak in their community

Even when it is treated, meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 infected people out of 100. And of those who survive, about 10 to 20 out of every 100 will suffer disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, amputations, nervous system problems, or severe scars from skin grafts.

Meningococcal ACWY vaccines can help prevent meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, W, and Y. A different meningococcal vaccine is available to help protect against serogroup B.

2. Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines

There are two kinds of meningococcal vaccines licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for protection against serogroups A, C, W, and Y: meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) and meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4).

Two doses of MenACWY are routinely recommended for adolescents 11 through 18 years old: the first dose at 11 or 12 years old, with a booster dose at age 16. Some adolescents, including those with HIV, should get additional doses. Ask your health care provider for more information.

In addition to routine vaccination for adolescents, MenACWY vaccine is also recommended for certain groups of people:

People at risk because of a serogroup A, C, W, or Y meningococcal disease outbreak
Anyone whose spleen is damaged or has been removed
Anyone with a rare immune system condition called "persistent complement component deficiency"
Anyone taking a drug called eculizumab (also called Soliris®)
Microbiologists who routinely work with isolates of N. meningitidis
Anyone traveling to, or living in, a part of the world where meningococcal disease is common, such as parts of Africa
College freshmen living in dormitories
U.S. military recruits

Children between 2 and 23 months old, and people with certain medical conditions need multiple doses for adequate protection. Ask your health care provider about the number and timing of doses, and the need for booster doses.

MenACWY is the preferred vaccine for people in these groups who are 2 months through 55 years old, have received MenACWY previously, or anticipate requiring multiple doses.

MPSV4 is recommended for adults older than 55 who anticipate requiring only a single dose (travelers, or during community outbreaks).

3. Some people should not get this vaccine

Tell the person who is giving you the vaccine:

If you have any severe, life-threatening allergies.

If you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction after a previous dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine, or if you have a severe allergy to any part of this vaccine, you should not get this vaccine. Your provider can tell you about the vaccine's ingredients.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

There is not very much information about the potential risks of this vaccine for a pregnant woman or breastfeeding mother. It should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

If you have a mild illness, such as a cold, you can probably get the vaccine today. If you are moderately or severely ill, you should probably wait until you recover. Your doctor can advise you.

4. Risks of a vaccine reaction

With any medicine, including vaccines, there is a chance of side effects. These are usually mild and go away on their own within a few days, but serious reactions are also possible.

As many as half of the people who get meningococcal ACWY vaccine have mild problems following vaccination, such as redness or soreness where the shot was given. If these problems occur, they usually last for 1 or 2 days. They are more common after MenACWY than after MPSV4.

A small percentage of people who receive the vaccine develop a mild fever.

Problems that could happen after any injected vaccine:

People sometimes faint after a medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes can help prevent fainting, and injuries caused by a fall. Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
Some people get severe pain in the shoulder and have difficulty moving the arm where a shot was given. This happens very rarely.
Any medication can cause a severe allergic reaction. Such reactions from a vaccine are very rare, estimated at about 1 in a million doses, and would happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a serious injury or death.

The safety of vaccines is always being monitored. For more information, visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/

5. What if there is a serious reaction?

What should I look for?

Look for anything that concerns you, such as signs of a severe allergic reaction, very high fever, or unusual behavior.

Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, and weakness — usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

What should I do?

If you think it is a severe allergic reaction or other emergency that can't wait, call 9-1-1 and get to the nearest hospital. Otherwise, call your doctor.
Afterward, the reaction should be reported to the "Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System" (VAERS). Your doctor should file this report, or you can do it yourself through the VAERS web site at www.vaers.hhs.gov, or by calling 1-800-822-7967.

VAERS does not give medical advice.

6. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines.

Persons who believe they may have been injured by a vaccine can learn about the program and about filing a claim by calling 1-800-338-2382 or visiting the VICP website at www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation. There is a time limit to file a claim for compensation.

7. How can I learn more?

Ask your health care provider. He or she can give you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information.
Call your local or state health department.
Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO) or
- Visit CDC's website at www.cdc.gov/vaccines

Vaccine Information Statement

Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine

03/31/2016

Many Vaccine Information Statements are available in Spanish and other languages. See www.immunize.org/vis

Hojas de Información Sobre Vacunas están disponibles en español y en muchos otros idiomas. Visite www.immunize.org/vis