immunizations

At least five children were given the wrong immunizations at a health clinic for the uninsured, including a 2-year-old boy who got an "excessive dose" of a cervical cancer prevention vaccine, authorities said.

A new study suggests the measles shot comes with a bonus: By preventing that disease, the vaccine may also help your body fight off other illnesses for years.

Health officials say the number of U.S. measles cases this year has risen to 141.

Personal or philosophical opposition to vaccines would not be an authorized exemption for the parents of school-age children under a measure that received a public hearing before a House committee on Tuesday, drawing at least two dozen opponents to the proposed change.

Despite resistance by some parents to immunizations for measles and other childhood diseases, more than 95 percent of New Jersey school children have received such vaccinations, the state's chief health officer says.

While much of the attention in the ongoing measles outbreak has focused on student vaccination requirements and exemptions, less attention has been paid to another group in the nation's classrooms: Teachers and staff members, who, by and large, are not required to be vaccinated.

It looks like most parents in the United States are continuing to vaccinate their children against potentially serious diseases.

Immunizations are just as important for adults as they are for children. Each year, 30,000 Americans die of vaccine-preventable diseases, and 95 percent of those who die are adults.

National Immunization Week is at the forefront in New Jersey where State Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd is urging New Jersey parents to get their children immunized in an effort to protect them from disease.