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Improving the Vaccination Experience

Vaccines are an important step in helping to protect your child, but some children find them uncomfortable. Here are some suggestions that can help make getting vaccines less painful for your child – and less stressful for you.

• Your child may be able to sense when you're upset or nervous. Try to stay relaxed and calm while you're in the doctor's office. If you feel a little nervous, remember to take a few deep breaths.
• It's a good idea to take a storybook with you to the doctor's office. As the doctor or nurse gives your child a vaccine, read to your child in a soft, soothing voice. If you don't have a book, tell a story, make funny faces, or do something else that will keep your child smiling.
• Ask the doctor or nurse if you can hold your child or stroke your child's back during the vaccination. Your gentle touch may help to keep your child from getting upset.
• If your child is upset after getting vaccinated, let him or her calm down for a few minutes before leaving the office. That way, your child may be less afraid to see the doctor again.

For more information about what to expect when vaccinating your child visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

Learn more: Facts About Vaccinations

INDICATIONS FOR PREVNAR 13^®

• Prevnar 13^® is a vaccine approved for use in children 6 weeks through 5 years for prevention of invasive disease (caused by the 13 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae included in the vaccine) and ear infections (caused by 7 of the 13 strains)
• Based upon immune responses to the vaccine, Prevnar 13^® is also approved for adults 50 years and older for the prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease caused by the 13 vaccine strains
• Prevnar 13^® is not 100% effective and will only help protect against the 13 strains included in the vaccine
• Effectiveness when given less than 5 years after a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is not known

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

• Prevnar 13^® should not be given to anyone with a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of Prevnar 13^® or any diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine
• Children and adults with weakened immune systems (eg, HIV infection, leukemia) may have a reduced immune response
• A temporary pause of breathing following vaccination has been observed in some infants born prematurely
• The most commonly reported serious adverse events in children were bronchiolitis (an infection of the lungs) (0.9%), gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and small intestine) (0.9%), and pneumonia (0.9%)
• In infants and toddlers, the most common side effects were tenderness, redness or swelling at the injection site, irritability, decreased appetite, decreased or increased sleep, and fever
• In adults, immune responses to Prevnar 13^® were reduced when given with injected seasonal flu vaccine
• In adults, the common side effects were pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site, limitation of arm movement, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, decreased appetite, chills, or rash
• Ask your health care provider about the risks and benefits of Prevnar 13^®. Only a health care provider can decide if Prevnar 13^® is right for your child

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visit www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967.

Please see Prescribing Information for Prevnar 13^®