Vaccines and the Diseases they Prevent

Recommended vaccines by disease

Vaccines are available to protect against many serious and sometimes deadly diseases. Over the years, vaccination programs have prevented millions of illnesses and saved countless lives. National research shows that routine vaccinations for children born between 1994 and 2023 are expected to prevent about 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and save more than 1.1 million lives across the United States.

People of all ages—infants, children, teens, and adults—need different vaccines based on factors like age, location, job, lifestyle, travel, health conditions, and previous vaccination history.

Click on any disease name to learn more about the illness and the vaccines that help prevent it.

• Chickenpox (varicella)

• COVID-19

• Dengue

• Diphtheria

• Flu (influenza)

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)

• HPV (human papillomavirus)

• Measles

• Meningococcal

• Mpox

• Mumps

• Pneumococcal

• Polio (poliomyelitis)

• Rotavirus

• RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)

• Rubella (German measles)

• Shingles (herpes zoster)

• Tetanus (lockjaw)

• Whooping cough (pertussis)

Vaccines recommended for travel and some specific groups

People who work in certain research settings or travel to specific parts of the world may be exposed to diseases that are rare in the United States. Because of this increased risk, several non-routine vaccines are available for added protection. These vaccines are recommended only for individuals with particular exposure risks and are not part of the standard immunization schedules for children, teens, or adults in West Virginia.

• Adenovirus

• Anthrax

• Chikungunya

• Cholera

• Ebola

• Japanese encephalitis (JE)

• Rabies

• Smallpox

• Tick-borne encephalitis

• Tuberculosis

• Typhoid fever

• Yellow fever