Immunizations: Get the Facts About Vaccines
Bacteria and viruses lurk all around us, hiding in classrooms, lunchrooms, playgrounds, and parks. While these invisible threats are nearly impossible to avoid, safe and effective vaccines can protect you and your child from them. After rigorous testing and monitoring, vaccines have been proven to prevent serious illness, save lives, and protect communities—acting as the first line of defense for your child’s health.
Hear from the experts
Watch the following videos to learn more about vaccines from medical professionals.
Talk to a trusted health care provider or check out the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) to confirm if your child is up to date on their vaccines.
Common childhood vaccinations
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect your children's health. They teach the immune system how to recognize and fight serious illnesses like measles, whooping cough, and meningitis.
Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to the bacteria and viruses that cause these harmful diseases, which is why it's so important to get your children the vaccines they need on time.
Sticking to a vaccine schedule not only ensures their safety but also protects the loved ones around them.
MMR vaccine for measles
Did you know:
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection-if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will get it if they are not vaccinated.
Symptoms include:
- High fever
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
- A rash that usually starts on the face and then spreads
Complications can range from mild issues like ear infections and diarrhea to serious conditions like pneumonia and encephalitis.
Visit the Department of Health Services (DHS) measles webpage for more information.
After use of the measles vaccine became routine and widespread during the 1960s, the number of measles cases decreased substantially.
DTaP vaccine for Pertussis
Did you know:
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause intense coughing fits that may last up to 10 weeks.
Symptoms include:
- Low-grade fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Intense coughing fits
- Vomiting
While it can infect people at any age, it's most serious for infants under a year old with complications ranging from pneumonia and collapsed lungs to heart failure, brain bleeds, and even death.
Visit the DHS whooping cough webpage for more information.
Varicella vaccine for chicken pox
Did you know:
Chicken pox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes an itchy rash and can easily spread from person to person.
Symptoms include:
- Itchy rash with blisters
- Tiredness
- Fever
- Headache
Chickenpox can be serious, especially for babies, adolescents, and pregnant people.
Serious complications include bacterial infection of the skin, pneumonia, bloodstream infection (sepsis), and even death.
Visit the DHS chickenpox webpage to learn more.
Is your child up to date on their vaccines? It's easy to find out. Call your child's doctor or check out the WIR.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Receiving multiple vaccines at the same time is safe and does not increase health risks. Every day, children come across between 2,000 and 6,000 bacteria and viruses, that each contain a substance called an antigen. This is far more than the one to four antigens typically found in a single vaccine.
Your child's vaccination schedule is carefully planned to provide safe protection when they need it.
While getting sick can provide immunity, the risks are much higher than the risks of a vaccine. Getting sick can lead to severe illness, longer-term health complications, or even death, even in otherwise healthy children. Mild cases might not build strong immunity, leaving your child open to reinfection later.
Vaccines are a safer way to build strong immunity. They provide the tolls your body needs to recognize and fight the virus or bacteria-without having to get sick! Vaccines can be updated or booster to help maintain long-term protection.
It is important to follow your child's recommended vaccination schedule.
This schedule is carefully developed by doctors and scientists to be safe, and to make sure your child is protected from illnesses they might come in contact with. Staying on track provides the best protection at the best time.
Vaccines contain weakened or killed viruses or bacteria, or sometimes even just a small piece of them. Vaccines do not cause disease. There can be side effects from a vaccine. The most common side effects are mild soreness, tiredness, redness, or swelling at the injections site. Sometime the vaccine will cause a mild fever. These side effects are a sign that your child's immune system is learning how to fight the disease.
If your child does not have side effects, it does not mean your child isn't immune. Each person will react differently to vaccines.
- Most private health insurance plans cover vaccines at no extra cost to you. Call your insurance provider to ask what’s covered under your plan.
- Medicaid pays for many vaccines and Medicaid-eligible people may be eligible for transportation assistance.
- The Vaccines for Children Program and the Vaccines for Adults Program provide no-cost vaccines for eligible people.
No. Overwhelming scientific research confirms that vaccines are safe and effective. Multiple studies done over 25 years have found no link between vaccines and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Autism Science Foundation, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), among other reputable organizations, all agree that there is no link between vaccines autism.
Some people are worried about a preservative called thimerosal in vaccines. They worry that thimerosal could cause autism or harm. It has been scientifically proven that thimerosal in the small amounts found in vaccines is not harmful. In addition, there is no thimerosal in any of the recommended childhood vaccines.
For additional questions about vaccinations, talk to a trusted health care provider.
Where to get vaccinated
Today, vaccines are easier to get than ever, available at many pharmacies, doctor’s offices, local health departments, and Tribal health departments.
Call your doctor’s office, pharmacy, or health insurance company to learn where you can get vaccines and how much it will cost. You can also visit vaccines.gov or call 211 to find flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccine locations near you.
Eligible children under 19 years old can get vaccines at no cost through the Vaccines for Children Program. Learn more about the Vaccines for Children Program and find a provider near you.
Eligible adults can get some vaccines at no cost through the Vaccines for Adults Program. Learn more about the Vaccines for Adults Program and find a provider near you.
Contact us
- Local health departments
- Regional offices
- Tribal health departments
- Email the Wisconsin Immunization Program at DHSImmProgram@dhs.wisconsin.gov