Vaccines and Kids with Unique Healthcare Needs

Vaccines and Kids with Unique Healthcare Needs

Every parent wants to ensure their child’s health.

There’s a lot to consider when deciding to vaccinate children. Most kids can receive all recommended vaccinations. This includes kids with certain disabilities and unique healthcare needs. People with disabilities and certain medical conditions can be at increased risk of complications from vaccine-preventable diseases. Many more people with disabilities or chronic illnesses are hospitalized or die from these diseases. The following considerations should be made in discussion with your child’s healthcare provider. They will help determine their unique immunization needs:

Allergies

Before your child gets vaccinated, tell their provider if they have a history of allergies to foods, medications, or certain vaccine ingredients. Also mention any history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines (anaphylaxis). Their provider may decide to postpone, skip, or administer vaccines in a different way. Below are some of the more well-known vaccine ingredients that children have allergies to. The vaccines that contain them are also listed:

  • Baker's yeast — found in hepatitis B and HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines
  • Gelatin — found in MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chickenpox), live influenza (nasal spray), rabies, typhoid oral, and yellow fever vaccines
  • Latex — found in any vaccine in a vial or syringe with natural rubber
  • Certain antibiotics — found in varicella (chickenpox), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and polio vaccines

The risk of a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine is rare (about 1 in 1 million). Remember that mild reactions such as redness or pain around the injection site and mild fever are common side effects from vaccines. If your child has a severe reaction like a seizure, you should contact their provider.

Medication

Certain medications may interfere with the way your child’s vaccines work. They may even increase the risk for side effects after vaccination. Your child may need to delay or skip certain vaccines. If your child is on any of these medications or recently received other vaccinations, be sure to talk to their doctor:

  • Immune (gamma) globulin, blood products, or antiviral drugs – chickenpox (varicella), MMR, and live influenza (nasal spray) vaccines
  • Long-term aspirin treatment — live influenza (nasal spray), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • Steroids or other drugs that affect the immune system, anticancer drugs, drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, or psoriasis — live influenza (nasal spray), varicella (chickenpox), and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines

If you have concerns about vaccines and your child's unique needs, talk with their healthcare provider.

Medical procedures

If your child is currently undergoing or has recently completed certain medical procedures, it may be necessary to delay or avoid certain vaccines. Talk to their provider if they are currently or have undergone:

  • Blood transfusion — varicella (chickenpox), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
  • Chemotherapy — all vaccines
  • Immunosuppressive therapy — all vaccines
  • Radiation therapy — live influenza (nasal spray), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • Stem-cell transplant — all vaccines

Medical conditions

Most children, even those with severe medical conditions, can be fully vaccinated. However, when children have certain medical conditions, vaccines may need to be postponed or skipped. They may need to be administered in a different way. If your child has or previously had any of the following medical conditions, talk to their provider prior to getting the listed vaccine:

  • Asthma — MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), live influenza (nasal spray), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • Blood disorders — MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), live influenza (nasal spray), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • HIV/AIDS or immune problem such as cancer (in child or close family member) — varicella (chickenpox), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), live influenza (nasal spray), and rotavirus vaccines
  • Myocarditis, pericarditis, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) — live influenza (nasal spray), and COVID-19 vaccines
  • Long-term health problem with heart, lung, kidney, liver, or nervous system, or metabolic disease – live influenza (nasal spray), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) — DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and flu (shot and nasal spray) vaccines
  • Seizure disorders (including family history) — DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
  • Pregnancy – live influenza (nasal spray), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chickenpox), HPV (human papillomavirus), IPV (polio), and meningitis B vaccines
  • Intussusception – rotavirus vaccine